Powering the countryside

Rural power

Fluidised bed technology could help meet all power needs of a village

High stakes

Experience in Giridih suggests that the success of rural electrification depends on the sincerity and commitment of the local contractor

Unreliable power

Inconsistent supply of electricity has made no difference to the quality of life of residents in Dhemaji district of Assam

Rural energy

For border villages in Rajasthan, electricity remains elusive

While electricity poles have been installed in some villages, lines have not been laid

Report pitches for nuclear energy in future

India is undergoing negotiations to unlock long-standing agreements with French, Russian and US companies to build nuclear power plants across …

Local resources can meet India's rural needs

The use of kerosene for lighting and biomass for cooking is predominant throughout rural India. And since provision of grid electricity to rural …

Energy Democracy: Where ‘two Indias’ meet

India needs a people-centric process towards de-centralising power and gaining control of renewable energy production, distribution and usage

Weed energy

Electricity can be generated from a creeper plant, as an experiment in Madhya Pradesh has demonstrated

Clean(er) cooking in India: We need a transition to better solutions along with smarter policies

Lack of access to cylinder distribution networks means that schemes such as PMUY have not succeeded as expected

Darkness before light

Down To Earth visited Badaun district of Uttar Pradesh and found that despite electrification, households continue to depend on kerosene and …

Hybrid energy

Women’s perceptions of cooking fuel hamper transition to clean energy: Study

Policies that promoted improved fuels targeted women as the primary beneficiaries, who mostly believed fuelwood contributed to their well-being more

Paving the way to sustainable energy generation with microgrids

Bio-methane generators powering TATA Power microgrids meet rural electricity demands in UP and Bihar

A long wait

In Panna district of Madhya Pradesh, delays in setting up power connections have marred the village residents' hope for a better life

Lack of modern energy sources increase health risk for Nagaland's rural women

Depending on traditional fuel means increased risk of respiratory, musculo-skeletal disorders 

Lack of energy access affecting women’s prosperity in India

A recent report shows how energy requirement of women differ in various states and in different occupations and how limiting the current scenarios are

Energetic dialogues

American industry tries to power its way into the Indian renewable energy market

Chulhas vs LPG: Which is the cleaner fuel?

Five experts debate the economics, science, efficiency and effects on women's health...

The poor and the environment: lessons from energy crisis

Boon or bane?

The condition in electrified villages is no better than that of the unelectrified ones in Bihar's Saran district. The voltage is so low that even …

How to take community-led rural electrification forward

Two steps at a time  

When villages plug in

A Consumer movement is catching on in Nepal.Communities are extending the grid to villages.This threatens to undo the effort put in small-scale …

Powered by husk

Off-grid biomass plants light up villages; experts demand clarity on tariff regulation