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Need of independent rural power producers in India—an overview

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Abstract

The current scenario of heavy power crisis in India particularly in rural areas and small towns requires urgent solution. There is a need to look for innovative and sustainable ways for promoting equitable development in India. The centralized energy planning model currently used ignores energy needs of the rural areas and poor and has also led to environmental degradation, whereas decentralized energy planning model is in the interest of efficient utilization of resources. Energy planning at the village level is the bottom limit of the application of decentralized planning principle. The individual villages are the smallest social units where the energy consumption occurs. Renewable energy is energy derived from sources that are being replaced by nature, such as water, wind, solar, or biomass. Renewable sources are essentially non-polluting, if applied correctly. This article presents a review of the important decentralized renewable energy options. Also, this article discusses about current power scenario in India particularly in rural sector. Taking into consideration the limitations of conventional power policy and benefits decentralized power potential in India, this article presents the need to setup independent rural power producers (IRPPs) as an instrument to promote sustainable and socially equitable rural power sector development.

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  1. Mechanical Engineering Department, KCB Technical Academy, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India

    Kuldeep Ojha

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  1. Kuldeep Ojha
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Correspondence to Kuldeep Ojha.

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Ojha, K. Need of independent rural power producers in India—an overview. Clean Techn Environ Policy 12, 495–501 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-009-0263-y

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