Demand-side neglect in India’s power sector draws sharp criticism from expert

By A Representative

Veteran power and climate policy analyst Shankar Sharma has strongly criticised the Indian government’s continued neglect of demand-side management (DSM) in the electricity sector, calling it a “chronic policy failure” that is leading to wasteful investments, ecological degradation, and long-term energy insecurity.

In a statement shared from Sagara in the Western Ghats, Sharma expressed concern over India’s tendency to focus almost exclusively on expanding generation and transmission capacity, while ignoring strategies like demand response and energy efficiency that could achieve grid stability at far lower costs and environmental impacts.

Citing a recent News18 opinion article on demand response, Sharma said, “Our policymakers, technocrats and politicians seem to be interested only in adding to the capacities, without bothering how the existing capacities are put to optimal use.” He added that this disregard for DSM has persisted despite its consistent endorsement in energy planning documents and global climate frameworks.

Referring to the Centre’s announcement of a Rs 53,000 crore Ultra High Voltage (UHV) transmission project, Sharma said such projects should be subjected to rigorous scrutiny, especially in the context of India’s increasing reliance on decentralised renewable energy sources like rooftop solar panels and community-scale wind and bio-energy systems.

He warned that UHV transmission lines — with rights-of-way as wide as 95 metres and often cutting through forests and farmland — would impose huge ecological and social costs. “The kind of ecological destruction we have been noticing in Coorg, the Western Ghats in general, in the Himalayas and elsewhere should make our policy makers take cognisance of the associated threats to our future,” Sharma said.

Pointing to the Central Electricity Authority’s (CEA) own projection of Rs 4.75 lakh crore in transmission investments required by 2027, Sharma questioned the logic of such outlays when demand-side measures could reduce load, enhance reliability, and make better use of current infrastructure.

He quoted the Planning Commission’s now-defunct Integrated Energy Policy, which had recommended treating energy efficiency as the “most important virtual source of domestic energy.” Sharma also referenced international best practices, noting how the European Union and Worldwatch Institute have long advocated energy efficiency as essential for climate mitigation and energy security.

“In view of the gross indifference being shown by our authorities on DSM measures, it is left to civil society groups to persuade the concerned authorities to become truly rational in all the associated policies and practices,” he remarked, urging wider public feedback on the ongoing Electricity Plan for 2022–27.

He emphasised that centralised grid expansion must not be allowed to override ecological and societal priorities. “Only a set of credible feedback from many more people in the society may be able to persuade the Ministry [of Power] to adopt a rational approach, which has been lacking all these years.”

Sharma has submitted a detailed response to the Draft National Electricity Plan (Volume II – Transmission) by CEA and hopes public interest platforms and publications like Counterview will help amplify these concerns.

Comments

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

The cost of being Indian: How inequality and market logic redefine rights

By Vikas Gupta We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor* Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

Search This Blog