Recognition for India’s energy drive
The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design is awarding its fourth annual Carnot Prize to Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways & Coal and former Minister of Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines.
The Carnot Prize is the Kleinman Center’s annual recognition of distinguished contributions to energy policy through scholarship or practice.
The most prestigious award in the energy sector, Carnot Prize is named after French physicist Nicolas Sadi Carnot who recognised that the power of the steam engine would “produce a great revolution” in human development.
The Carnot Prize is intended to honour those leading revolutions in energy policy to further progress and prosperity.
Just like Carnot visualised the progress of mankind, the Carnot Prize recognises pioneering scholarship and path breaking policies in the energy sector.
Previous winners include: Dr. Daniel Yergin, Vice chairman of HIS and Dr. Fatih Birol, Director of International Energy Agency.
The 2018 Carnot Prize is a recognition of India’s efforts under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as the nation charts the path towards eliminating energy poverty with sustainable energy solutions.
The rural electrification drive gave a significant breakthrough to the mission of ‘24×7 Affordable, Environment Friendly Power for all’, as India eliminated decades of darkness in more than 19,000 villages on 28 April 2018.
With real-time monitoring, India’s energy starved people in the remotest villages of 19,000 villages saw electricity for the first time.
With the Saubhagya Programme, the last-mile connectivity to every household in the villages is being fast tracked, with 51% of the 3.1 crore rural households electrified.
Mark Alan Hughes, founding faculty director, Kleinman Center, commended India’s electrification drive. “Providing power to the world’s energy poor turns on the lights — and also empowers education, sanitation, and health care. It closes the gap between the haves and have nots.”
India has taken rapid strides towards translating the country’s ancient ethos of environment conservation in our ambitious renewables and energy efficiency programmes.
The massive thrust to green energy is reflected in India’s 175 GW target by 2022, being the world’s largest renewable expansion programme with 72 GW already achieved.
As solar and wind energy market prices achieve parity in India with record low tariffs, renewables are set to become the mainstay of development in the coming years.
With India becoming home to the world’s largest solar park, solar plant and single rooftop plant, the Carnot Prize recognises India’s “solid footing to reach a 40% renewable mix by 2030” (Kleinman Center for Energy Policy).
The Carnot Prize is a recognition of India’s climate conscious and development driven energy governance that is fuelling the aspirations of 125 crore people. fiinews.com
