By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 25: Energy consumption in the state increased by about 16% from fiscal 2014-2015 to 2019-2020 with the industries accounting for 59.8% followed by transportation at 31.6%, and commercial and residential buildings at 6.8%, findings of the State Energy Efficiency Action Plan (SEEAP) for Meghalaya revealed.
The SEEAP was discussed as part of a validation workshop held here on Monday.
Based on the analysis and stakeholder input, industrial, transportation, and buildings were identified as “focus sectors” for SEEAP preparation since they account for more than 90% of the state’s energy consumption.
It was projected that the total energy consumption in Meghalaya would increase by 72% by 2030-2031 from the 2019-2020 levels due to factors such as economic growth, increase in population, rapid growth of urbanisation, and industrial development, senior electrical inspector (Shillong) of the Inspectorate of Electricity, M.F. Mawlieh said.
“The SEEAP for Meghalaya includes specific action plans for industries, buildings, and transportation. Implementing these plans can significantly reduce the state’s energy consumption. Under a moderate energy-saving scenario, we anticipate an approximately 8% reduction in energy consumption by 2030-2031 compared to the business-as-usual scenario. In an ambitious energy-saving scenario, the reduction could be as much as 13%,” he said.
The workshop was presided over by the chief guest, Ramakrishna Chitturi, Director of Finance, MeECL.
The development of a state-specific action plan on energy efficiency has been initiated by the Ministry of Power with support from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, it was learnt at the workshop.
Officials said the workshop was an essential step towards the finalisation of Meghalaya’s SEEAP
The assignment for developing the SEEAP has been executed by Meghalaya State Designated Agency in collaboration with Deloitte, India.
The action plan shall assist state government departments and agencies to adopt the most sustainable, long-term energy efficiency strategies across the key economic sectors of Meghalaya.
The SEEAP provides a clear roadmap for identifying areas where we can save energy and outlines specific plans to achieve these savings. It builds upon successful practices from different regions and shows how they can be applied effectively, officials said.