New Book "Many Sparks but Little Light: The Rhetoric and Practice of Electricity Sector Reforms in India"

Many Sparks but Little Light: The Rhetoric and Practice of Electricity Sector Reforms in India

by Prayas (Energy Group), Pune, 2017.

About the Book: 1991 was an inflection point in the history of modern India. The country embarked upon wide-ranging economic reforms in what came to be known as the Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation or LPG era. The electricity sector - indeed, the entire energy sector - has seen multiple waves of reforms since then. It has been a quarter century since the beginning of the reforms and there are indications that a fresh wave of reforms are in the offing in the electricity sector. Over this period, Prayas (Energy Group) has keenly followed and participated in the reforms process as a proactive, independent organisation offering constructive critique and suggestions to further public interest. Prayas (Energy Group) has authored a book born out of this unique engagement and understanding of the sector. The book critically examines many of these reforms and the impacts they have had, to understand if they achieved their expected objectives and if they helped in achieving the desirable socio-environmental outcomes. The in-depth analysis over eight chapters covers thermal, hydropower and renewable generation, electricity distribution, and associated fuel sectors of coal and natural gas. We hope that the book contributes to improve the design and implementation of further reforms, so that the sector overcomes its challenges in an equitable and sustainable manner. The book is dedicated to Girish Sant, founder coordinator of Prayas (Energy Group), who continues to inspire our work. Preview of the book (with details such as index, preface, foreword etc.) is available at http://tinyurl.com/ManySparksButLittleLight.

Table of Contents

The Long and Winding Road of Electricity Sector Reforms in India

Too Good to be True: The Story of Thermal Generation

Reforms in Hydropower: Missing the Woods for the Trees

Renewable Energy: The Imperative for the Future

Electricity Distribution: On Square One, Even with Reforms after Reforms

The Indian Coal Sector: A Black Past and a Grey Future

Natural Gas: Running on Empty

What's Past is Prologue

More About the Book

See Also

• Renewable Energy Data Portal, by Prayas