The Hindu Business Line : Energy co-ordination panel to meet on Aug 6

THE recent fire in the ONGC oil platform at Mumbai High, the flare-up in global crude prices to $60 a barrel, and the need to ensure energy security to secure development objectives so as to keep the economy growing on a high trajectory, have all brought to the fore the need to convene the first meeting of the newly-constituted Energy Co-ordination Committee under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, forthwith.

Sources in the Government told Business Line that though the formation of an energy co-ordination committee was decided much before fire engulfed the oil rigs of the onshore platforms at Mumbai Bombay High, the Prime Minister proposes to convene the first meeting of the energy co-ordination committee on August 6 to take stock of the energy situation.

Sources said that in a letter to the members of the committee, the Prime Minister has laid renewed emphasis on energy security and sought to identify crucial areas requiring policy initiatives so that the overall objectives of economic development, energy security, and energy efficiency are achieved.

Yet another vital aspect being highlighted by the Prime Minister pertains to the overarching need to monitor vulnerabilities that directly impinge on energy security measures.

The energy co-ordination committee was set up recently to foster a systematic approach to policy formulation, promote co-ordination in inter-Departmental action, and to function as a key mechanism for institutional support to decision-making in the areas of energy planning and security.

Besides the Prime Minister as the Chairman, the other members of the committee are the Ministers of Finance, Petroleum, Power, Coal, Non-Conventional Energy, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Member (Energy) of the Planning Commission, Chairpersons of the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council and Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, the National Security Advisor, and the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister.

The recent mid-term appraisal report to the 10th Five-Year Plan has warned that underperformance of the energy sector could be a major constraint in delivering the targeted eight per cent annual GDP growth.

That is primarily the reason why the Plan panel has pitched for an integrated energy policy based on acceleration of the reform process and substantial increase in installed capacity and production in the energy sector.

The sources said that since dependence on fossil fuels such as coal and oil needs to be reduced in view of their non-renewable nature and exorbitant environmental costs, that the Prime Minister made it a point during his recent visit to the US to highlight India's urgent need to have unhindered access to all sources of energy, including nuclear energy.

They added that the US too understood New Delhi's position with regard to "our securing adequate and affordable energy supplies from all sources"; hence, the affirmation of the importance of co-operation in the civilian nuclear energy sector.

According to the sources, as a sequel to this co-operative agreement with the US for meeting civilian nuclear energy needs, the possibility of India being able to access nuclear fuel and nuclear power reactors and other technologies from outside to supplement domestic efforts would emerge.

This is a particularly noteworthy feature of the India-US agreement in the backdrop of mounting concern over global climate change arising out of carbon dioxide emissions and nuclear energy being relatively clean, they added.

The forthcoming first meeting of the committee would review all these developments and come out with some concrete plan of action to ensure energy security of the country, the sources said.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page