Nuclear Energy

Indian villages are spread over wide distances, most do not have large populations, and
development levels are low. So they cannot provide the substantial loads that towns and cities can.
Therefore, while supplying them electricity from a centralised electricity generation system requires
long transmission lines and so is expensive, on the other hand for the same reason it also involves
huge transmission losses.
A very simple, efficient and cost-effective solution to this problem is making use of
decentralized power generation systems (meaning electricity generated at or near the point of use),
based on renewable sources of energy. These can be a mix of wind, micro hydel, solar and biomass,
depending on the location and availability of local resources. (We discuss renewable energy sources
in the next section.) Since a decentralized generation system is connected to a local distribution
network, instead of a high voltage transmission system, the losses are very low. Even if the cost of
electricity from this decentralized system is more than generation cost of conventional grid
electricity, because of the huge costs and losses involved in transmitting the latter to remote
villages, the real end cost of conventional electricity to the consumer would in most cases be more
than decentralized electricity. And, as we see below, costs of decentralized electricity are rapidly
falling, making it an even more attractive solution. Further, such a system is cheaper, produces less
carbon emissions, has none of the environmental, health and social costs associated with large
conventional power plants, and finally, also has the benefit that it empowers local people as they
can easily control and manage the electricity supply system.
Part IV: The Potential of the Alternate Energy Paradigm
The above analysis shows that it is possible to solve India’s energy crisis with an Alternate
Energy Paradigm, whose basic elements are:
Maximising energy efficiency, including efficiency of the energy delivery system and end-use
efficiency, and eliminating wasteful use of energy.
Making the maximum possible use of renewable energy sources.
Reducing load on the grid by promoting decentralized renewable energy supply systems.
Given the huge scope of improving energy efficiency in the country, if the government indeed
implements the energy efficiency measures outlined above, and promotes the use of decentralised
energy systems to meet the energy needs of India's far-flung villages over half of which have still
to be electrified sixty years after independence, then the additional grid electricity generation
required for meeting our future growth needs is substantially reduced – a major portion of this can
then be easily met from renewable energy sources.
As discussed above, even the government admits the potential of grid connected renewable
electricity generation in the country to be: 48,500 MW of Wind Energy, 15,000 MW of Small
Hydro Power, and 21,000 of Biomass Energy, apart from at least 50,000 MW of Solar Energy (the
government itself has set a target of 20,000 MW solar energy by 2022). dcxcii According to the World
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