Smart and green grid: Leverage the learnings of the lockdown

The Pandemic has fueled the debate about what choices India must make for its energy sector. As we restart our factories and offices and drive fuel-guzzling vehicles, we walk the tightrope of balancing our rising requirement for cheap and universal electricity and a dire need for clean air. The latter, as luck would have it, was made somewhat easier with the lockdown as carbon emissions fell to a four-decade-low. This period has also helped us identify the areas we must address to honour climate commitments while providing power for all. Until today, the transport sector continues to be the largest oil user in India, accounting for nearly half of the total consumption. It is also a major source of particulate matter. Though the government has placed stricter norms and incentivised EVs, there is a steady shift of freight transport to roadways from railways. At the same time, the supporting ecosystem for e-mobility such as e-highways and charging infrastructure remains scant.