ENERGY PLANNING

  Currently,  energy  planning in  India  is not an  integrated 
  activity. Since  there  are many  energy sources and end uses, 
  many  organisations and  agencies deal with different aspects 
  of energy. The plans for electricity, coal, oil and fuel wood 
  are  done  by  respective  organisations  mainly based on the 
  projection  of  energy  demand.  The  primary  goal  of  this 
  approach  is  to  go  in for energy  supply expansions on the 
  assumption that there is a correlation between energy use and 
  gross  domestic product. With this approach energy becomes an 
  end  in  itself, and the focus  shifts on  meeting  increased 
  energy  consumption  through  energy  supply  expansion alone. 
  This  supply  and  demand  based  planning  approach for each 
  individual  energy  form  has  resulted in problems like more 
  losses,  more  conversions  and  low  efficiencies.  This  is 
  evident from the  disappearance of forests, village wood lots, 
  road  side  trees, construction  of  giant hydroelectric dams, 
  fossil  fuel  based  power  plants  and controversial nuclear 
  plants.  This  conflict  between  the   energy   demand   and 
  environmental  quality  goals  can  be  solved  by  having an 
  integrated approach to the problem of energy planning, with a 
  view to  minimise  consumption of  non-renewable resources of 
  energy and maximise efficiency of energy usage and harnessing 
  of renewable  sources of energy in an  ecologically sound way. 
  Another  aspect  that  has  to be considered in  the planning 
  process  is  that of  matching  energy resources and end uses. 
  Because of convenience, current  usage of high quality energy, 
  such as,  electricity  for low  quality  activities like bath 
  water  heating is to  be  discouraged. Hence,  strategies for 
  integrated energy planning should include (a) improvements in 
  efficiencies of end use  devices and/or conversion equipments, 
  (b) optimising energy source -end use  matching, (c)organised 
  approach  towards  optimal  use  of  renewable  resources, (d) 
  proper  exploitation  of  biomass  energy  resources,  and (e) 
  discourage use of depletable resources (by penalising).

  Ecologically sound development of the region is possible when 
  energy  needs are  integrated with  environmental concerns at 
  the local and global levels, for which an integrated planning 
  framework  would  be  necessary.  The  central  theme  of the 
  integrated  energy plan would be to prepare and implement the 
  area  based  decentralised  energy  plans for  meeting energy 
  needs  for  subsistence ,  development  of  alternate  energy 
  sources (renewable,  non-renewable) at the  least cost to the 
  economy  and  environment, and  linking the micro level plans 
  with  national  economic  planning  and  development programs, 
  including those for energy, agriculture and rural development 
  sectors.	

  Towards  the  goal  of  implementing  analytical  methods for 
  integrated  energy  planning, computerised  Decision  Support 
  System (DSS) is  used. This provides useful assistance in the 
  analyses  of  available  information, optimal  allocation  of 
  resources  for  various  end  uses, the  projection of future 
  scenarios and the evaluation of alternative scenarios. 

  The  energy  plan  development   exercise   consists  of  the 
  following components:
  (i)   Database  Development:  Energy  planning depends on the 
        availability  and   quality  of  data ,  and  gaps  and 
        deficiencies  in  the  database  can be identified as a 
        result  from  planning. The  database serve as input to 
        demand  and  supply  analyses.  The  objective  of  the 
        database  is  to   identify ,  generate   and  assemble 
        information  required for  energy analyses. It is  part 
        of the  iterative  and  continuous  process  of  energy 
        planning.
  (ii)  Sectorwise  energy  demand: This involves the survey of 
        the present energy consumption in different sectors for 
        various  end  uses  covering  the  type, magnitude  and 
        composition of fuel, trends,  seasonal  constraints and 
        preferences  in  consumption; and  estimation of energy 
        demand based on the sample survey data.
  (iii) Assessment  of  the  supply  situation:  This  involves 
        analysis of present energy supply system; assessment of 
        woody  and  other bioresources; assessment of renewable 
        sources  potential, such as, solar, wind and hydro; and 
        study of supply system of commercial energy.
  (iv)  Development of an  energy  plan for the district: Based 
        on the  estimated  supply and demand, an energy plan to 
        meet  the  energy  demand   would  be  worked  out   in 
        accordance  with  the  development  priorities.  Techno-
        economic analyses of various energy technologies  would 
        be  carried  out to find out the technical and economic 
        viability  of  the  system. An  energy plan at district 
        level  would be proposed  based on the Decision Support 
        System   approach.  Analyses   of  the   importance  of 
        community participation in energy conservation,planning  
        and  identification  of  measures that will enhance the 
        level of participation.
  (v)   Implementation  and  management:  With the knowledge of 
        administrative structure at district level and agencies 
        implementing the energy development program, a suitable 
        institutional  structure   would   be   suggested   for 
        implementing and managing the energy plan.

  District  is  taken as the unit of  energy  planning since (i) 
  district  is  the basic  administrative unit for implementing 
  all  developmental  programs and (ii) district level planning 
  will  facilitate   integration   between   national  planning 
  exercises and planning at lower levels.