Still Waiting (Nov 2009)

This report argues that addressing climate change (reducing future greenhouse gas emissions) and meeting India's development goals are not divergent, as is often portrayed. The report offers an alternative energy paradigm as a solution not only to further the sustainability of the planet, but to do so in a manner that offers inclusive growth and quality energy access that has so far remained a mirage in most of rural India. The report compares the electricity supply scenarios among rural and urban areas in five states from four regions of the country; two in the East (Orissa and Bihar), and one each in the South (Karnataka), North (Uttar Pradesh) and West (Maharashtra). In each of these states, a tier A city, tier B city, and three villages were chosen for the survey. Across the states, the findings clearly illustrated that there was a widening electricity divide between urban and rural India. To address this divide is crucial not only because approximately 70% of the country’s population is still rural, but also because this is a sustainable, climate friendly model that should define India’s energy growth plans.