The NITI Aayog recently revealed the India Energy Security Scenarios (IESS) 2047 V3.0, an open-source tool for assessing the impact of the Indian Government’s green energy policies. The tool, which has a baseline set at 2020 and is continually calibrated up to 2022, aims to provide accurate predictions of India’s energy future. Simultaneously, NITI Aayog launched the India Climate Energy Dashboard (ICED) 3.0, a central platform for near real-time data relating to energy, climate, and related economic datasets.
An Overview of IESS 2047 V3.0
The IESS 2047 V3.0 is a comprehensive tool designed to assess the demand and supply of energy in India, taking into account policies related to alternative energy resources like Green Hydrogen Mission, Renewable Purchase Obligations, PM-KUSUM, and Offshore wind strategy among others. It offers an environmental impact analysis, examining emissions, cost, land, and water requirements up to 2047 to guide India towards a sustainable, net-zero energy future.
User-Friendly and Open-Source Features
IESS 2047 V3.0 is open-source, easily accessible, and user-friendly. It appeals to researchers, think tanks, and the public by allowing users to generate personalized energy pathways according to specific factors such as industry, services, agriculture, population, urbanization, and end-use energy demand.
Impact on Reducing External Dependency
The tool guarantees reliable estimates of India’s energy needs, thereby reducing the country’s dependence on external agencies.
India’s Panchamrit Goal
Among the long-term ambitions for India’s energy sector is the Panchamrit Goal, which includes reaching 500 gigawatts (GW) of non-fossil energy capacity by 2030, meeting 50% of India’s energy requirement from renewable energy sources by 2030, reducing the carbon intensity of the economy by 45% below 2005 levels by 2030, reducing total projected carbon emissions by 1 billion tonnes by 2030, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.
Initiatives Shaping India’s Energy Transition
Several initiatives are influencing the country’s shift towards renewable energy. These include the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME), Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA), Green Energy Corridor (GEC), National Solar Mission (NSM), National Biofuels Policy and SATAT, Small Hydro Power (SHP), and International Solar Alliance (ISA).
Previous Year UPSC Civil Services Examination Question
A question from the UPSC Civil Services Examination in 2015 relating to the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) asked which statements about the agency were accurate. The correct answer was that IREDA is a Public Limited Government Company and Non-Banking Financial Company.
