Workshop on 'Analysing Rural Energy Transitions and Inequities'

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) organized a workshop on 'Rural Energy Transitions and Inequities' on September 29, 2014 as part of TERI's study on 'Energy: Incentivizing Energy Transitions Towards Sustainable Energy Pathways', supported by the Norwegian Framework Agreement. The Workshop highlighted some of the key findings emanating from the study that involved a primary household survey across six states in the country. It sought to first understand the existing patterns of energy consumption in rural India and how the socio-economic parameters affect these energy choices. In addition, it examined the factors that determine the extent of energy transitions, the current status of access to clean fuels, and inequities that would help prioritize the options to enable transition towards clean energy in India.

The Workshop opened with brief views from experts in the field of renewable energy. This was followed by sessions that discussed data results from the NSSO and TERI Survey, household comparison across states, and excerpts from the field in the form of case studies. The Workshop closed with exploring ways to expand the reach of cleaner energy sources technologies in rural India as well as provide policy suggestions to promote their use.