Negawatts and Green Megawatts

The next government in New Delhi will have to proactively address the energy crisis in India. The steps to be taken have to be in keeping with a long-term strategy that should aim to increase effi ciency of existing power generation capacities, thereby reducing India’s dependence on imports. The government’s emphasis should be on “negawatts” of power and “negatonnes” of coal and oil and a transition to renewables or “green megawatts” over the next 10 to 15 years. The guiding principle should be to minimise the resource intensity of the economy.