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India has earmarked 56 shale gas fracking projects as part of its coal-to-gas transition plan. However, fracking poses peculiar risks to the environment and public health. This paper examines whether India's fracking-based energy transition pathway ensures procedural justice for its citizens by evaluating its regulatory framework on three key aspects of procedural justice: information, inclusion and influence. In doing so, this paper posits that procedural rights are considered part of constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights in India. To address the procedural justice issues, this paper argues that the Indian government should conduct scientific inquiries into the environmental impact of the proposed fracking projects. Additionally, the paper suggests establishing communication channels to inform local communities about fracking-related risks through decentralised regulatory mechanisms, creating regulatory structures to involve various stakeholders in decision-making, and analysing how fracking will affect the socio-economic conditions of local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the feasibility of India achieving its stated objective of getting to net zero carbon emissions by 2070 and outlines a possible strategy for the next 10 years consistent with this goal. It recommends a combination of price-based measures and several sector-specific interventions. The ideal price-based measure would be a carbon tax. This may not be feasible for various reasons, but in its absence a well-designed emissions trading system, as described in the paper, could make a major contribution in reducing emissions. On sectoral interventions, the critical areas over the next 10 years would be (i) accelerated expansion of various forms of renewable energy capacity, which will require several policy changes, (ii) electrification of transport, and (iii) a shift from private to public transport in urban areas and from road to rail for freight. Action will also be necessary in other sectors such as industry, agriculture, and buildings, but a detailed strategy for these may take more time to put in place. Since responsibility for action in all these areas is spread across different ministries in the central government and, in many cases, state governments, evolving an internally consistent and cost-effective strategy will present a major challenge. There is a case for setting up a high-level commission chaired by the Prime Minister to approve a national strategy. The paper estimates that the additional investment needed to make this transition will be about 2 per cent of India's GDP by 2030, much of which will have to come from additional public and private savings. In this context, some form of carbon pricing would help generate additional revenue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In aiding India's effort to become carbon neutral, this research focusses on its Southeastern (SE) region, investigating its potential for decarbonization and using of green hydrogen as alternate fuel for industrial operations. The study analyzed the total CO 2 emissions from the power and industrial sectors in the region, and estimated an annual emissions of 307.8 million tonnes. Considering different GDP growth scenarios, this study estimated the demand for energy and green hydrogen until 2050 for achieving energy transition. Based on the region's renewable energy capacity, an optimal energy mix of 5% small hydro, 45% wind and 50% solar power is recommended for green hydrogen production. This study found that the Cauvery and Krishna-Godavari basins have the storage potential to continuously deliver the stored hydrogen for seven years to the region, ensuring energy security. Finally, by decarbonizing industrial operations in SE region, the global temperature rise could be reduced by 0.003842 °C. [Display omitted] • Power plants are the leading CO 2 emitters, contributing to 64% of total CO 2 emissions. • Energy demand projected till 2050, with Andhra Pradesh as leading consumer. • Quantified green hydrogen and solar energy demand to achieve energy transition. • Hydrogen storage capacity of Cauvery and KG basins for energy security are assessed. • Cauvery and KG basins can potentially deliver the stored H 2 continuously for 6 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green hydrogen is gaining popularity as a clean fuel, and India is one of the countries that is exploring its potential. The paper analyzes the factors contributing to the adoption of green hydrogen in India. The government's policies to encourage usage of clean energy and cut down carbon dioxide emissions are a key factor driving the adoption of green hydrogen in India. Additionally, with the accessibility of renewable energy resources, the growing demand for hydrogen in various industrial applications, and the development of supportive infrastructure and policies are also contributing to the expansion of the green hydrogen sector. The study did a comprehensive literature survey to determine 21 variables that contribute to the green hydrogen development in India, which have been categorized under 4 blocks, namely, varied incentives, government support measures, R&D landscape, and green mandate. These blocks can be utilized to articulate and upgrade the green hydrogen policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article evaluates the winners and losers of the energy transition playing out around the Pavagada solar park in Karnataka, India. We analyse how the innovative land leasing and competitive tendering mechanisms of the 'Pavagada model' have shaped the socio-ecological relations and outcomes of the project. We show the solar park has provided investors with low-risk returns, state electricity distributers with low-cost power, and larger landowners with new income streams. However, we find that the model is entrenching colonial, gender, and caste-based inequalities and oppressions, particularly for landless agricultural labourers who have lost their sources of livelihood. We argue that when renewable energy policy is primarily concerned with reducing costs and managing risks for private investors and state actors, the potential benefits of energy transition will not be equitably shared. The case of Pavagada demonstrates the need for democratic ownership and control of renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hegemonic narrative linking coal to national sovereignty and energy security promoted by state and private actors, translates into policies promoting coal expansionism. The study is based on the proposition that the counter-discourse offered by non-state actors, mainly environmental civil society organization, represents a potential challenge against such narrative. The dialectical discursive dynamics around energy transition are explored within India's print media by employing the method of Discourse Network Analysis to trace the dominant storylines and discourse coalitions. The findings reveal two opposed storylines, one pro-coal the other anti-coal, underpinning the two ideologically cohesive discourse coalitions dominated by state and non-state actors, respectively. It uncovers the ideological fault lines between the two sets of actors, with the possibilities for synthesis and policy co-learning. The paper concludes by deriving implications regarding post pandemic challenges and possibilities emerging for both the sets of actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significance of renewable energy in achieving necessary reductions in emissions to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is widely acknowledged. However, there is growing concern over the allocation of land for constructing the required new infrastructure. Nowhere is this conflict more apparent than in India, where renewable energy targets are ambitious and land use conflicts are already significant. India intends to increase renewable energy to 500 GW by 2030. This would require an additional 42 GW of renewable energy to be installed every year. Although renewable energy can provide the solution to both India's growing need for cheap energy and climate change mitigation, the sustainable future of renewable energy deployment is far from simple due to its associated land use impacts and socio-ecological risk. While others have highlighted challenges to India's renewable energy targets, here we focus on the land use change issues that will need to be addressed for India to meet its targets. We introduce a series of recommendations and highlight how these could contribute to mainstreaming land values and facilitate the implementation of India's 2030 renewable energy targets. These recommendations include suggested planning approaches that would guide the development of standard siting guidelines, identification of preferential "go-to" areas for renewable energy, and the development of tools that allow access to data and information to site renewable right. Policy recommendations highlight utilizing converted lands and existing built infrastructure for renewable energy development, and adapting existing policies so they address land use impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States have over the decades proved to be dependable partners in India's energy security. However, the energy transition necessitates examining its impact on the India-GCC energy partnership. Will India-GCC energy partnership last the transition from hydrocarbons to renewables? What will be its medium- and long-term impact? Can hydrogen replace hydrocarbons as the vehicle for India-GCC energy cooperation? This article answers some of these questions based on a systematic study of innovation in the field of hydrogen as a fuel, India's National Green Hydrogen Mission and the growing investments in capacity building in hydrogen production in the GCC States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India is facing two major transitions. In 2040, its energy demand will double while 800 million Indians will live in cities by 2050. Situated at this intersection, this article contributes to the field of urban energy research by looking at Solar Rooftop Systems (SRS) in a district located in the extended periphery of Delhi. Using a multi-pronged qualitative methodology in a corridor made of villages and small towns, we argue that public policies are framed applying a rigid territorial grid opposing urban and rural, ignoring the motivations of both residential and professional users, which are not bounded by the rural/urban binary. This disjunction explains that renewable energy does not lead to a new imagination of urban and energy systems. These two fields remain disconnected while solar energy fuels consumption and the city expansion in its peripheries. Finally, the observed variegated urban energy landscapes (UEL) embody a land and energy intensive form of urban growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India faces twin challenges of meeting the rising energy demands of a developing economy and ensuring an economy-wide low-carbon transition to stay on track with its decarbonization goal leading to a net zero energy mix by 2070. As emissions from the use of fossil fuels remain the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the country, a massive restructuring of the energy sector is needed. This requires integrated planning across all sectors, and the harnessing of all low-carbon energy technologies and emission reduction mechanisms so that affordable and reliable energy is available to everyone during the process of transition and after achieving net zero. This article examines the future energy requirements and surveys a wide range of studies to make recommendations for policy formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India is severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and is facing an unprecedented public health emergency. While the country's immediate measures focus on combating the coronavirus spread, it is important to investigate the impacts of the current crisis on India's renewable energy transition and air quality. India's economic slowdown is mainly compounded by the collapse of global oil prices and the erosion of global energy demand. A clean energy transition is a key step in enabling the integration of energy and climate. Millions in India are affected owing to fossil fuel pollution and the increasing climate heating that has led to inconceivable health impacts. This paper attempts to study the impact of COVID-19 on India's climate and renewable energy transitions through machine learning algorithms. India is observing a massive collapse in energy demand during the lockdown as its coal generation is suffering the worst part of the ongoing pandemic. During this current COVID-19 crisis, the renewable energy sector benefits from its competitive cost and the Indian government's must-run status to run generators based on renewable energy sources. In contrast to fossil fuel-based power plants, renewable energy sources are not exposed to the same supply chain disruptions in this current pandemic situation. India has the definite potential to surprise the global community and contribute to cost-effective decarbonization. Moreover, the country has a good chance of building more flexibility into the renewable energy sector to avoid an unstable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable, uninterrupted and quality power supply is the key factors for economic growth of any country and become the government's priority. To meet this requirement, the power sector has grown tremendously over last two decades in the areas of generation, transmission, distribution sector. With a total installed capacity of 395 GW(as on 31st January, 2022), India has transformed from a power deficit (peak) - 12.7% in FY 2009-10 to -1.2% in FY 2021-22. Every country throughout the globe has been trying to shift towards the renewable energy (RE) from conventional energy in order to meet the net zero emission target by 2070 in compliance with COP-26 held at Glasgow. In this context, India has set a target of 500 GW RE generation by 2030 and achieved 150 GW RE capacity as on February 2022. This transition of energy sector creates several challenges which need to be addressed for proper integration of RE sources into the grid. In this paper, at first, the background of power sector reform is briefly discussed and the role of each segment (generation, transmission and distribution) in transition of the entire energy sector is also highlighted. The role of Electricity Act 2003 in power sector reform or transition is discussed. Furthermore, various policy issues related to RE and the integration challenges into the grid are also outlined. Moreover, the effect of RE on several power system parameters such as system strength, inertia, rate of change of frequency (ROCOF) etc. are elaborated. In this context, few case studies are highlighted to show the impact of RE integration into the existing grid. Finally, few recommendations are provided to address the RE integration challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article offers three instruments to effectively mitigate climate change in the context of the Conference of the Parties (COP)26 and beyond. The first is the interaction between the climate and trade regimes. To that end, this article presents a thought-provoking premise - that mega-regional trade agreements (RTAs) can take a significant role in climate change mitigation. It argues that mega-RTAs can go further to galvanize climate change mitigation, in particular in the energy sector. The energy sector is the largest contributor of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with the majority of energy consumption being supplied by fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and oil. As such, there are two main arguments made herein. First, mega-RTAs, as tangible indications of what is acceptable to major economies, are the impetus to influencing greater coherence on energy efficiency standards. This contributes to climate action by creating, even if to some extent, the harmonization of an otherwise fragmented status of energy governance. Second, mega-RTAs can create substantive provisions that redirect support from fossil fuels to renewable energy. This is the very essence of the energy transition. It is envisaged that these two roles conveyed effectively through mega-RTAs can substantially support the energy transition and amounts to action that mitigates climate change and promotes sustainable energy. The second instrument to effectively mitigate climate change is the role of two major Asian countries that are key in the fight against climate change, namely India and China. Both countries can play a major role in effectively mitigating climate change in the future, following the agreement at COP26 that coal must be phased down. Lastly, the third instrument is visualizing what a decarbonized future would look like. Two of many possible pathways for decarbonization are examined: clean-energy technologies and shale gas as a bridge to sustainability. The article argues that these pathways can be meaningful for effective climate action and are in alignment with the Glasgow Climate Pact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, scholars have focused increasingly on market-based energy access for the energy poor in developing countries. However, little is known about the implications of the expansion of pro-poor markets and their respective renewable energy production. This study examines the relationship between global production and regulation in India's off-grid solar (OGS) sector. A better understanding of the relationship between global production and India's energy access framework is necessary to understand the wicked problem of local energy needs and ongoing climate crisis. This study is based on a narrative analysis of 34 expert interviews and traces the emergence of India's OGS sector in three historical phases. Two discourse coalitions increasingly developed different perceptions of accelerating India's energy transition. Despite the shared goals of creating energy access through market-based approaches, the two coalitions conflict in achieving the goal of energy access for all through local or global production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India's forests, particularly in coal and other mineral-bearing regions, have been at the centre of many social and environmental conflicts. Such conflicts will likely remain salient over the next decade as India appears to be moving towards greater use of coal instead of transitioning away from it. The current governance architecture in mineral-bearing forested areas is characterized by fragmentation of rights across different stakeholders and a pluralistic institutional regime – a situation often characterized as 'anticommons.' 'Anticommons' lead to the resource getting gridlocked and underused. The Indian government undertook a critical and ambitious policy design exercise – the 'Go-No-Go' or Inviolate Forest Policy (IFP) policy – to address the resource dilemmas by 'objectively' demarcating forests for mining and conservation. This paper traces the conflict around the policy formulation as it manifested in the corridors and ministries of the government. We use a novel data source of government records of formal policy deliberations – obtained through India's transparency law, Right to Information (RTI) – supported by conversations with senior bureaucrats, policymakers, and expert observers. We find that the quest for 'objective' demarcation of 'pristine' forests for conservation was marked by inter-ministerial conflict, laden with asymmetric power balances and involving the careful deployment of discursive frames and tactical maneuvers. We argue that the multiplicity of use-values that get valued differently a) by different individuals/groups of individuals and b) at different scales inscribe the possibility of conflict at the heart of any attempt to resolve anticommons, as can be seen in the IFP. In the process, we expose the problems in prioritizing amongst competing resource-uses, using 'efficiency'-based approaches. Further, our analysis presents an implicit critique of the monolithic understanding of the State in the supply of property rights. • The Go-No-Go / Inviolate policy (IFP) sought to objectively demarcate India's forests for mining and conservation purposes. • IFP was an attempt to resolve fragmented rights (anticommons) over coal-bearing forests. • However, the policy trajectory and outcomes were shaped by inter-ministerial conflict. • It reveals political consequences of prioritization among multiple competing resource-uses that manifest at different scales. • The techno-bureaucratic approach either failed to resolve underlying conflict or ended up marginalizing certain use-values. • 'Conflict' emerges as a useful frame for analyzing intra-governmental policy processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About 70% of India's current energy mix comprises of coal, and the increase in generation from renewable (RE) sources is affecting the health of the power system. We investigated this effect through the lens of asset utilisation, cost and the social disruption caused by accelerating RE into the Indian Power System. Our review-driven analysis revealed that increasing RE generation is pushing the coal plants to operate in low-loading conditions, causing heightened wear and tear of the plant as they are not suitable for flexible operation. The novel analysis of social disruption due to market parity between RE and coal-based generation presented a holistic view of the political economy of Indian Power System. We found that transition from coal to RE may have extended socio-political ramifications that can potentially disrupt the national economy at an unprecedented scale. Policy implications outlined by our study for the draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020 include scoping a socio-technical framework which supports just energy transition through better financial support mechanisms for flexible operation of coal plants. Focusing on clean-up over shut-down of coal plants and facilitating investments in battery storage technologies and cross-border electricity trade as RE and conventional fuel reach market parity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the role of product standards in the acceleration of the Indian energy transition. It argues that standard-setting plays a crucial role in shaping interactions between national regulators and stakeholders of the off-grid solar sector. Thirty-three expert interviews were scrutinised in a narrative analysis. Product standards are assessed in the context of an emerging Indian off-grid solar sector. The study found that there are two different frameworks for product standards, that standard adherence played a significant role in accessing government programmes, and that the establishment of product standards in the off-grid solar sector was driven by international stakeholders. By applying a narrative analysis, two central narratives on the governance of the Indian off-grid solar sector have been found. The paper concludes that diverging product standards frameworks due to increasing politicisation of energy access governance impact the acceleration of the Indian energy transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to energy provides numerous opportunities to enhance well-being and alleviate poverty. In rural and energy-poor areas, alternative technology solutions such as solar off-grid products, storage systems and energy-efficient devices can complement the unreliable electric grid to fulfil energy needs. Localized entrepreneurship in rural areas can play a significant role in increasing energy access. However, studies on the dynamics of rural entrepreneurship and low-cost energy access in poor households are scarce. This paper explores the local entrepreneurs' perception of social, economic, and technological factors that impact entrepreneurship dynamics in rural poor communities of India, and to identify strategies to help further improve the existing institutional support. A community-based system dynamics (CBSD) approach was used to engage community members to understand their perspective of entrepreneurial development. The study participants were twelve local rural retailers in the state of Bihar in India who were previously trained and employed in a decentralized solar project, and have since become solar entrepreneurs. Participants were engaged in group model-building sessions to develop a causal loop diagram (CLD). Based on the basic structure identified in CLD, a simulation model was developed and calibrated using data from solar project operations and surveys of solar users and entrepreneurs. Results indicate that training and subsequent experience in the project and business helped reinforce the entrepreneur's skills. Repair service and sales of energy products contributed in building trust and awareness in the community, thereby increasing demand for solar and energy-efficient products. The simulation-based scenario analysis shows the positive impact of better business practices, bulk procurement, and continued repair services on the income of the solar entrepreneurs. Findings from this study can inform subsequent energy entrepreneurial development in rural Bihar. • Role of rural retail entrepreneurship in reducing energy poverty explored • Community based system dynamics modelling with local rural retail entrepreneurs • Causal loop diagram mapping participants' perspective of entrepreneurship dynamics • System dynamics simulation and policy analysis for strengthening institutional support and better business practices [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current discourse on the transition to a decarbonized energy system future is dominated by renewable energy solutions. Initial conditions for this transition may vary across different regions and countries. There are, however, also opportunities for innovative solutions that utilize other low‐carbon energy sources and technology mix. Sustainable development is a contested concept and varies with priorities attached to social, economic, and environmental goals. Therefore, the one‐size‐fits‐all type of solution paradigm needs to be broadened, to accelerate action in the short to medium term. Our argument is that natural gas can be an important complementary transition fuel to support renewable energy in the short‐ and medium‐term transition phases. This means that the goal of zero fossil fuel as a short‐ and medium‐term solution needs to be reconsidered. This takes us to the next argument that innovation and upgraded technology in the low‐carbon fossil fuel sector will provide an important impetus for low‐carbon transition, which we see as a phase lasting until the middle of the century. However, the transition toward a sustainable energy future of gas‐fueled solutions has challenges from the social, technical, economic, geographical, and political points of view. Suitable local solutions should, however, also be assessed. These should take into consideration infrastructure, local demands, resources, and economic aspects as well as national energy policies. An analysis based on the experiences of four countries, both developed and developing, is presented in this study. The countries selected for this study can be placed in two categories: those with an abundance of natural gas reserves (Iran and Norway) and those that are import‐dependent (India and UK). The cross‐country analysis will help us to understand the realistic challenges and opportunities of natural gas as a transition fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This short communication piece questions whether unaffordability really matters for families to reject improved fuels. It presents the case of an Indian village where nearly every house has successfully introduced a TV, but only one house adopted LPG for cooking. Considering that the former is more expensive than the latter and whilst both are relatively new and energy-related technologies, the paper asks how and why people decided to adopt one extensively but not the other. Methodologically, the study employs a mixed method approach, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data. The findings suggest that the lack of sufficient income has little influence on people to adopt or reject improved fuels. The paper argues that it may not give us a clear picture if we research why people choose or reject one fuel over another. This paper demonstrates that to understand a household's fuel choice decision, it is essential to understand the broader decision-making context within which families operate and make all decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using two very different empirical settings, this paper emphasizes the required conditions for the successful crafting of sustainable institutions. In the first setting, different farmer groups in Cambodia and Vietnam try to establish a collective approach for small-scale community-based aquaculture and fail. In the second setting, the collective initiatives of urban women in India are analysed. The Indian women succeed in their objective of a fuel transition from firewood to gas cookers using a cooperative approach. Ostrom's variables identified in the “Multitier Framework for Analyzing Social–Ecological Systems (SES)” ( Ostrom, 2007 ) are applied to local collective action initiatives in both settings to understand which factors make some of the groups succeed in their objectives and others fail. This research highlights the complexity as well as the uniqueness of different SESs. At the same time, the paper contributes to demonstrating the usability of the SES and certain variables to estimate the likelihood of success of self-organisation and crafting of rules. It highlights the relevance of certain conceptual variables for sustainable or unsustainable outcomes for different cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines whether adequate opportunities exist for full decarbonisation of the Indian energy sector and highlights where enough choices for full decarbonisation by 2050 do not exist. The study suggests transformative levels of electrification, energy efficiency improvements, and a switch towards decarbonised fuels (largely green hydrogen, decarbonised electricity, and bioenergy) as the three mainstays of India's decarbonisation strategy that could plausibly shift the energy sector towards a net-zero emissions future. The study also indicates that the heavy freight and industrial sectors face challenges in achieving full decarbonisation because of a lack of adequate technological solutions. Accordingly, residual emissions of about 1.3 gigatonnes in the system would require carbon sequestration options, including both technological and nature-based solutions, to achieve net-zero emissions. This study is expected to encourage further deliberations and deep dives into energy sub-sectors, which would benefit planners and policymakers in delineating India's sustainable energy transition strategy. • Analysis of decarbonisation potential of Indian energy sector. • Transformative electrification, EE improvements & decarbonised fuels would be needed. • Bio-energy, Green hydrogen, and decarbonised electricity as key decarbonising fuels. • Despite pushing technological limits, around 1.3 Gt of CO 2 e emissions remain. • Sequestration options needed to enable energy sector's NZE transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the middle of the 1990s, India's energy system has been showing new signs of the beginning of a transition in which the functioning of energy demand and supply will tend to correspond to the requirements of economic development. First, this paper examines recent energy changes, after which it analyzes their relationship with the process of economic and social transformation which the country is experiencing, with the aim of discovering the factors that are determining the beginning of the energy transition. It then shows how the trends derived from those economic and social factors are inducing the increase and growing diversification in energy demand. From that perspective -and in line with the available supplies of energy resources -we analyze why the deepening of the energy transition will lead inexorably to greater external dependence, above all for petroleum, but also for natural gas and uranium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) aim to increase the share of non-fossil fuel, especially renewables, in power generation. But at the same time, it mentions that coal is likely to dominate the power generation in the short and medium term to meet the increase in demand and support the intermittency of renewable energy-based power generation. Thus, additional efforts to transform the thermal power generation to a more efficient and less emitting one in the near term by increasing the use of natural gas (a fossil fuel with a lower emission factor than coal) may be planned towards achieving India's additional mitigation commitments. The paper presents the implications of a proposed increase in the share of natural gas in thermal power generation of India by looking into the trade-off between emission mitigation and energy security. Along with a Reference Scenario, three alternative emission scenarios are proposed to understand the likely impacts of increased penetration of natural gas in power generation on India's projected emission profile up to 2050. Results suggest that higher mitigation potential can be achieved through fuel-switch in thermal generation and technological up-gradation to enhance energy use efficiency. The energy security due to the increased share of natural gas imports can be dealt with by diversifying import sources. Shifts can achieve this in the emphasis on long-term contracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving access to clean cooking is a key part of India's strategy to reduce energy poverty and tackle the health impacts of solid biomass fuel use. Currently policies to promote uptake of clean cooking fuels do not account for local socio-economic and cultural context. However, lack of access to clean cooking is a multi-dimensional problem that requires an understanding of both socio-economic macro-scale trends, as well as household and community behaviour at a micro-scale. This study uses data science approaches to integrate quantitative and qualitative data from a survey of low-income households in Bangalore, to identify dominant socio-economic characteristics, behaviours, and decision-making that act as barriers to clean cooking across a community. Key barriers identified include awareness and access to subsidy programmes, safety concerns, as well as weak community networks. Low income households can also be adversely affected by kerosene restrictions intended to promote LPG uptake. The clean cooking transition pathways identified can support targeting of local policy interventions to address barriers to clean cooking faced by different groups of households. • Clean cooking access policies do not account for local urban context. • Low-income urban households display more heterogeneity than rural ones. • Clustering approach can reveal distinct energy transition pathways. • Weak community network and lack of tenure rights act as barriers to clean cooking. • Clean cooking access cannot be viewed in isolation of other public utilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to analyze the historical characteristics of energy transition and consumption patterns in rural and urban households in India. By developing a comprehensive database, this study first develops a systematic bottom-up method to construct per-capita energy balance table for rural and urban households in each state in year 2004, 2009 and 2011. Next, characteristics of energy transitions in relation with income levels are analyzed by comparing energy consumption across low, middle and high-income states for rural and urban households. In the study, it was found that cooking is the prime energy consuming service and faster energy transition is happening in higher income households. With increasing urbanization, transition to clean and energy efficient fuels for cooking and lighting services is observed. The quantity and share of biomass and kerosene has been decreasing in total per-capita household energy use, which is getting replaced by Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and electricity in high-income households. The rural high-income households consume more biomass, LPG and electricity than low-income households, whereas urban high-income households consume less biomass but significantly more LPG and electricity than low-income households. Among different drivers of energy demand, per-capita income and urbanization are emerging as most important drivers. Thus, this study explains energy choices in each service type, pattern of energy consumption and disparity in use of advance energies in rural and urban households across all states of India. • Constructed the energy balance table for rural and urban households across all states of India. • Analyzed characteristics of energy usage in different household services such as cooking, lighting, heating, cooling and other appliances. • Energy-wise analysis of per-capita energy consumption in Indian household sector. • Pattern of energy transition in relation to household income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Appraise Indian strategies for clean cooking fuel transition during COVID-19 pandemic. • Applied DPSIR approach to establish comprehensive indicators for clean fuel transition. • Flagship PMUY & PMGKY program restricted reversion to traditional cooking practices. • Direct subsidy & free refills under COVID relief could sustain LPG uptake in rural areas. • Awareness of health benefits & safety issues will help to address the perceived convenience. Clean cooking energy strategies are critical for reducing air pollution, improving health, and achieving related Sustainable Development Goals. The recent COVID-19 lockdowns may impact the transition towards clean cooking fuels. The nationwide lockdown is likely to affect key factors such as energy access, income, transportation, etc., that play a role in decisions influencing household fuel use. The rural population already bears the burden of poverty and may not be able to afford and access clean cooking fuels during the lockdown. They are thus vulnerable to reversion to their traditional cooking methods using solid biomass fuels. The household air pollution caused due to the use of polluting fuels increases their susceptibility to non-communicable diseases, and thus may intensify the risk and severity of COVID-19 infection. Hence, there is an urgent need to expand sustainable energy solutions worldwide. The present study applies the DPSIR modeling framework to establish a set of comprehensive indicators for addressing the transition towards clean cooking fuels during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also provides insights on various strategies adopted in India in response to the COVID-19 pandemic for maintaining continuity of delivering benefits under a clean cookstove program. The study offers future directions to ensure the transition towards cleaner fuels and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Gujarat Solar Park is an archetype of India's sustainable energy transition. • The solar park is mandated to facilitate 'gender positive' outcomes and boasts female empowerment. • Configurations of labor under the political economy of solar have excluded women from employment opportunities. • Corporate social responsibility schemes designed to empower women reproduced caste and class-based social power asymmetries. • Solar park development in India represents an antinomy of a nature-society relation. India is undergoing a rapid transition to renewable energy; the Gujarat Solar Park typifies this transition. In addition to mitigating climate change, the Gujarat Solar Park boasts female empowerment through social development schemes. This manuscript is inspired by the following research question: To what extent are 'gender positive' processes and projects associated with solar development in India realized on the ground? Utilizing mixed methods fieldwork and drawing on literature from feminist political ecology, this paper demonstrates how the modalities of solar park development represent an antinomy of a nature-society relation. New configurations of labor under the political economy of solar have produced a gendered surplus population of landless peasants who are not absorbed into wage-labor employment in the solar park. Further, associated social development schemes actually disempower women, despite mandates of 'gender positive' outcomes by UN-based climate treaties to which this project is beholden. The opportunity to participate in one such scheme for female empowerment was reserved for only women of middle-to-high class status and those of dominant castes, thereby reproducing class and caste-based social power asymmetries. Female (dis)empowerment eclipses 'gender positive' guarantees of the solar park. This study highlights some unintended consequences of sustainable energy transitions in the Global South at the local scale. Designing development interventions related to climate change mitigation that boast 'gender positive' outcomes must be careful not to exacerbate gender disparities and economic exclusion in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal is on the rise in India: despite the devasting impacts of the climate crisis, the awareness for land and forest rights, and political talk of a coal phase-out. In this article, we demonstrate that despite the renewables-led rhetoric, India is in the midst of a transition to (not away from) greater use of coal in its fossil energy system and in the electricity system in particular. We investigate this paradox by combining socio-metabolic and political-ecological analysis of the Indian coal complex. Our framework integrates material and energy flow data as characterizing the Indian fossil energy transition, indicators on the development and structure of the coal industry, and studies of ecological distribution conflicts around coal. The dominant claim to expansive use of coal and the competing counterclaims are indicative of underlying power relations which can also be witnessed in other countries. In India, they extend into the conflicted development of renewable energy including hydropower, in which the land dispossession, exclusion, and injustices associated with the expansion of the coal complex are reproduced. We conclude that the current energy transition – in which coal continues to play a dominant role – is neither sustainable nor just. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many rural households in India lack access to reliable energy services but off-grid solar technologies are able to meet basic lighting and electricity needs. The availability and perception of different technologies, appliances, and services influences how households will transition to renewable energy. To identify factors that affect household decisions among various energy sources, this paper examines purchase and use patterns for electricity sources and basic end-uses for twenty-two households in three rural villages in Jharkhand, India using a qualitative, card-based interview protocol. This paper examines energy stacking or the use of multiple fuel sources to meet household energy needs. Results indicate that households use multiple energy sources to meet basic lighting and charging needs, but these patterns vary across households. Adoption of lighting technologies were influenced by a range of factors, with pricing and payment options influencing 88% of solar lantern purchases and 75% of solar home system purchases. In contrast, decisions to connect to the solar microgrid were more heavily influenced by awareness of the technology. Retention of existing lighting options stems from three factors access or availability, capacity, and quality of new lighting additions – with capacity being the most commonly referenced across kerosene, solar lanterns, and solar home systems. This paper argues that different factors influence adoption and retention of household lighting sources with key interdependencies across sources resulting the need for new, or to retain existing, lighting options. • All 22 households stack or retain multiple technologies over time. • Households on the state-provided grid frequently purchased backup sources of lighting after grid access. • Microgrid households use fewer appliances compared to grid-connected households. • Adoption of new technology was often influenced by awareness, pricing, and access. • Retention of sources was influenced by quality, end-uses, and access to repair services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]