2030 Renewable Energy Roadmap for Palakkad District

Thiruvananthapuram/Palakkad, Kerala: The recent renewable energy roadmap released by WWF-India and World Institute of Sustainable Energy (WISE) for the Palakkad District shows that it is both feasible and practical for the district to meet 50 per cent of its energy demand with renewable sources by 2030.
 
The district of Palakkad can make a transition to a 50 per cent Renewable Energy (RE) scenario (including 100 per cent electricity from RE sources), according to the report released today at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. This district specific report - Renewable Energy Plan by 2030 for Palakkad District, Kerala - provides a vision for a renewable and sustainable energy supply by 2030.
 
This report is a sequel to the national level study, “The Energy Report-India – 100% Renewable Energy by 2050” published by WWF-India & TERI, and the state level study, “The Energy Report-Kerala – 100% Renewable Energy by 2050 by WWF-India and WISE in 2013.
 
The district of Palakkad has a high potential for renewable energy resources, especially wind and solar. This makes the district a very suitable case for an RE-based (off-grid and on-grid) development model. Further, from a land use perspective, the waste land availability in Palakkad can be put to use for RE development. All this suggests that the potential for energy self-reliance based on RE could be practical even in a short- to medium-term scenario.
 
The Energy Report - Kerala suggested that the state can meet over 95 per cent of its energy demand with renewable sources by 2050. It provided a robust framework for a systematic approach strategy that curtails energy demand, optimizes RE supply and moderates fossil fuel-based energy sources. Taking this as the starting point, the Palakkad study tries to assess the feasibility plans and small-scale pilots at the district level. Considering the specific energy profile of the district, the focus is more on interventions in sectors such as transport, industry and domestic. The study assesses a curtailed energy demand scenario that factors in aggressive interventions in energy conservation, energy efficiency and fuel substitution which lead to a reduction of 36 per cent in overall energy demand by 2030.
 
The study also chalks out an implementation roadmap that lists the actions, priorities and responsibilities of different stakeholders, and thereby enables policymakers to assess the desirability and potential of a particular action. 
 
Dr Sejal Worah, Programme Director, WWF-India, said, “This RE based energy roadmap provides policymakers and planners a strong basis for deliberations towards charting a renewable energy future for the district that can be a model for other key districts across the country.”
 
On the release of the Renewable Energy Plan by 2030 for Palakkad, Mr G.M. Pillai, Director General, WISE remarked, “The study provides a continuation to our research focused on energy self sufficiency and energy security for Kerala.  The plan for Palakkad includes a realistic and time bound implementation roadmap that intends to extend the ambit of energy policy and engender a new dialogue on energy and sustainability.”
 
About WISE:
The World Institute of Sustainable Energy (WISE) is a not-for-profit institute committed to the cause of promoting sustainable energy and sustainable development. Its specific emphasis is on issues related to renewable energy, energy security and climate change. To know more log on to: www.wisein.org