CPREventsCPR Webinar on ‘Powering through the Pandemic: Will COVID-19 reset India’s approach to the future of electricity?’
Events
CPR Webinar on ‘Powering through the Pandemic: Will COVID-19 reset India’s approach to the future of electricity?’
Date and Time
July 29, 2020
5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Location
Online via Zoom
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Speakers
Arvind Subramanian, Professor, Ashoka University; Founding Director, Ashoka Centre for Economic Policy; Former Chief Economic Advisor, Government of India.
Ajay Shankar, Former Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion; Former Additional Secretary, Ministry of Power.
Vandana Gombar, Editor – Global Policy, BloombergNEF
Ashwini K. Swain, Fellow, Centre for Policy Research
Moderator
Navroz K. Dubash, Professor, Centre for Policy Research; Coordinator, Initiative on Climate, Energy and Environment
The Covid-19 pandemic reinforces the importance of reliable electricity access. Ironically, even as electricity makes us more resilient, electricity systems are also vulnerable to the pandemic. Our analysis finds that the disruption caused by the pandemic are consequential for India’s long-term electricity goals- low cost electricity access as a social objective and a transition to clean energy as an environmental objective. The combination of Covid-19 disruptions, technological driven cost reductions in renewable energy, and the longstanding financial and governance problems of the sector combine to create a ‘critical juncture’ for the sector- a moment to envision a new and alternative configuration of technology, institutions and politics that could transform Indian electricity. This is a long-term and complex conversation. We suggest illustrative pathways in our report. Join us on Wednesday, July 29 at 5:30 PM IST to discuss a future-oriented vision for Indian electricity and structural approaches to make electricity more resilient.
To read an overview of the report, and a discussion of its key findings, click here.
About the Speakers
Arvind Subramanian is a former chief economic adviser to the Government of India, a Professor at Ashoka University as well as a Founding Director at the Ashoka Centre for Economic Policy and a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE).
Ajay Shankar is a Distinguished Fellow at TERI and former Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion in the Government of India. He also held the posts of Additional Secretary and Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Power.
Vandana Gombar is an Editor – Global Policy at BloombergNEF, tracking and writing on global policies on energy, mobility and other key sectors. She has been a journalist, analyst, columnist, author and commentator over a career spanning 20+ years.
Ashwini K. Swain is a Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research. His research interests include political economy of electricity, interface between energy service needs and climate mitigation goals, and water-energy-food nexus.
Navroz K. Dubash is Professor at the Centre for Policy Research where he conducts research and writes on climate change, energy and air pollution. He is currently a Coordinating Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Sixth Assessment) and has written/edited ten books or special issues, including Mapping Power.
About the CPR Initiative on Climate, Energy and Environment
The Initiative on Climate, Energy and Environment at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR-ICEE) aims to stimulate an informed debate on the laws, policies and institutions shaping climate, energy and environmental governance in India. Our research focuses on improved understanding of climate, development and environmental challenges and pathways to improved outcomes, in four key areas: climate policy and institutions, the political economy of electricity in India, low-carbon energy demand patterns in urban areas, and air quality governance.
