'India needs long-term energy planning'

A study by TERI says India needs to pursue an integrated approach to energy planning as high economic growth will create much larger demand for energy.

India needs to pursue an integrated approach to energy planning as high economic growth equalling or exceeding eight per cent would create much larger demand for energy in the next few decades, a study has said.

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The study titled 'A National Energy Map for India: Technology Vision 2030' by The Energy Research Institute (TERI) estimates alternative trajectories of energy requirements and examines the likely fuel mix for the country under various resource and technological constraints during 200131.

It said pressure on the three conventional energy forms coal, oil and gas will continue to remain high in India in the next few decades even if the contribution of hydro, nuclear, and renewable energy increases significantly.

Although the contribution of hydro, nuclear and renewable energy forms together may increase by about six times in the next three decades, these sources can at most contribute to a mere 4.5 per cent of the total energy requirements, it said.

From the viewpoint of energy security and the need to reduce its dependence on imports of energy fuels, the country needs to undertake all possible options on the demand and supply side, which have implications on energy security as well as foreign exchange outflows, the study said.

With the likely growth in energy demands, it is clear that the maximum annual production potential of all the conventional energy forms will be fully exploited by 2016 and the country would need to increase its imports of coal, oil, and gas in the future, it said.