Developing New Pathways for Energy and Environmental Decision-making in India

Abstract:

In India’s fast-growing economy, energy modeling is critical in informing important policy and market questions. All of India’s flagship policy priorities, such as Make in India and 24x7 Power for All, have implications for energy, environment and water, and as such, successfully implementing these policies will also mean addressing these interconnected issues in a coordinated way. Both the government and the private sector need the ability to understand trends and the implications of decisions in a complex but interconnected world. However, given the variety of models and the range of results emerging from them, it can be challenging to draw policy conclusions without clear guidance and understanding of the differences between the models, their assumptions and their suitable uses. This challenge is not unique to India, but it is central to each country’s ability to develop robust climate mitigation and sustainable development strategies.

This paper will describe an approach that India has embarked upon to address this dilemma. Specifically, a wide range of government bodies, research institutions and industry representatives have joined forces to create the India Energy Modeling Forum. The forum grew out of bilateral collaboration between NITI Aayog (the former Planning Commission) and USAID. Five research institutes[1] participated in the initial collaboration on topics such as air quality and transportation and water constraints on power sector development. With the launch of the IEMF, many more research institutes are now involved, and collaboration has expanded to include several additional governments and international research institutes. Priority research topics include air quality, energy-water-land nexus issues, renewable deployment, and long-term strategies.

The IEMF creates a multi-stakeholder platform where different ministries can coordinate their efforts, research needs, and ultimately, their policies. Industry can learn about trends and policy options that the government is considering, which provides needed input to make sustainable investments. Researchers are also better able to target their analysis on topics that help inform government, based on stated priorities; this in turn can also help align research funding with the most pressing needs.

[1] These institutes include the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in the United States and the Council for Energy, Environment, and Water, CSTEP, IRADe, and TERI in India.