OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Courtesy: Wikipedia
13 January 2016

Minigrids: the next energy access beacon

Village-scale solar powered minigrids are the most promising path for India to meet its linked aims of GDP growth and access to electricity for all. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is already active on this front, but a comprehensive and standardised national minigrid policy that facilitates private sector involvement and eases financing, will allow this model to flourish

India US energy war Courtesy: MEA India / Flickr
9 December 2015

COP21: unspoken India-U.S. war

An unspoken war has been waged between India and the U.S. at the COP21 Summit in Paris. If the West wants India to opt for more expensive energy options, then they must also reciprocate by sharing technology.

Baka-charging-station_cropped Courtesy: Sass Peress / Wikipedia
3 December 2015

Cheap finance for climate change

The Climate Conference in Paris offers the globe a chance to arrive at a firm action plan—and underpinning this chance are advances in solar and electric vehicles technology. If the Paris talks focus on making such technology and related finance available to countries like India, we can move closer to achieving climate goals

Ivanpah_SEGS_(2) Courtesy: Wikipedia
26 November 2015

‘India must grow the green bonds market’

The Conference of Parties (COP21) is beginning on 30 November in Paris, France. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has climate change has one of the top priorities of his foreign policy. Gateway House spoke with Nick Robins, Co-Director, Inquiry into the Design of a Sustainable Financial System, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on green financing and how India can leverage on it to further its energy needs.

Ansari Rouhani 2013 MEA Flickr Courtesy: MEA Flickr
12 November 2015

Berthing a new era at Chabahar

The strategic and geopolitical importance of Iran’s Chabahar Port is not lost on India. It is for this reason that India is keen to partner with Iran on investing in developing berths at the Port. Although the relationship between the two have had its ups and downs, it is time that with a nuclear deal in place between Iran and the P5+1, India realises that it has much more at stake in its relationship with Tehran.

nuclear-reactors-499907_640 Courtesy: Pixabay
5 November 2015

Quiet burial for the nuclear deal?

Solar power developers have offered to sell electricity in India at less than Rs 5/unit. This makes solar competitive with traditional forms of energy, and makes new nuclear power plants financially unviable. India must register the changed reality, and discard the idea of expensive Western reactors. Time to scrap the India-U.S. nuclear deal?

OIl Tech Flickr Courtesy: epSos.de / Flickr
29 October 2015

How technology can cap oil prices

Developments in electric vehicles, battery technology, and renewable energy can make oil, coal, nuclear power interchangeable, if the appropriate technology is developed and marketed well.  And since the benefits include a permanent cap on energy prices, India must promote  its own industries in these areas and not remain a passive beneficiary.

nuke power plant Courtesy: Pixabay
15 October 2015

Why India-U.S. energy ties are stuck

Even as India and Germany move ahead on energy cooperation, India-U.S. energy collaboration is stranded in the three key areas: nuclear power, shale gas, and solar energy. But with cheaper energy imports due to the fall in fossil fuel prices over the past 12 months, India can wait till it gets a better deal from the U.S.

Solitary_Oil_Rig_In_The_Arabian_Sea Courtesy:
4 September 2015

ONGC-Rosneft

ONGC’s purchase of a 15% stake in Russia’s Vankorneft presents the road ahead for India – by acquiring oil and gas fields today, India has a chance to lock in the price of imported energy at the current low level for the long run.