>From patrickirn@igc.apc.org Tue Jul 26 23:01:52 1994 Date: Tue, 26 Jul 1994 19:45:17 -0700 From: Patrick McCully To: narmada@cs.wisc.edu Subject: US Energy Sec in India From: International Rivers Network Subject: Secretary O'Leary in India /* Written 4:59 AM Jul 26, 1994 by tgray in igc:energy.news */ /* ---------- "Secretary O'Leary in India" ---------- */ /* Written 9:42 PM Jul 25, 1994 by newsdesk in igc:ips.english */ /* ---------- "INDIA-UNITED STATES: STAKING A CLAI" ---------- */ Copyright 1994 InterPress Service, all rights reserved. Worldwide distribution via the APC networks. *** 13-Jul-94 *** Title: INDIA-UNITED STATES: STAKING A CLAIM IN ENERGY SECTOR AN INTER PRESS SERVICE FEATURE BY MAHESH UNIYAL DHANAWAS, INDIA, JUL 13 (IPS) - U.S. ENERGY SECRETARY HAZEL O'LEARY IS IN INDIA ON A WEEK-LONG VISIT TO ENSURE U.S. POWER COMPANIES GET A GOOD DEAL IN THE NEWLY DE-REGULATED ENERGY SECTOR. THE UNITED STATES IS ALSO HOPING TO STEAL A MARCH OVER ITS RIVALS IN STAKING A CLAIM TO INDIA'S VAST UNEXPLORED RURAL ENERGY MARKET. HUNDREDS OF MEN, WOMEN IN TRADITIONAL FINERY AND CHILDREN CLUTCHING TINY INDIAN AND U.S. NATIONAL FLAGS LINED UP TO GREET THE VISITOR AND HER LARGE RETINUE AS THEY PICKED THEIR WAY PAST THE PUDDLES IN DHANAWAS, ABOUT 50 KM FROM NEW DELHI. ''I MET YOUR PRIME MINISTER AND WE DISCUSSED MANY THINGS WHICH CAN FREE YOU FROM YOUR BURDEN AND MAKE YOUR FUTURE BRIGHTER,'' O'LEARY TOLD THE HOUSEWIVES AND CHILDREN ASSEMBLED IN THE LOCAL SCHOOL COMPOUND. THE DIGNITARY BROUGHT GIFTS OF SUN-POWERED ELECTRIC LANTERNS FOR THE VILLAGE AND SAID HER COUNTRY WOULD HELP MEET ENERGY NEEDS OF INDIAN VILLAGES. ACCOMPANIED BY A HIGH-POWERED DELEGATION OF 42 INCLUDING REPRESENTATIVES OF LEADING U.S. POWER AND NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY COMPANIES, O'LEARY ARRIVED IN INDIA LAST FRIDAY TO DISCUSS ENERGY COOPERATION BETWEEN INDIA AND THE UNITED STATES. THE DELEGATION IS A FOLLOW UP TO INDIAN PRIME MINISTER P.V. NARASIMHA RAO'S U.S. VISIT EARLIER THIS YEAR. IT WILL SEEK, AMONG OTHER THINGS, GUARANTEES FOR U.S. POWER INVESTMENTS IN INDIA. RAO SIGNED IN WASHINGTON A BILATERAL AGREEMENT ON RENEWABLE ENERGY COOPERATION. ON TUESDAY, SECRETARY O'LEARY INAUGURATED A 'SUSTAINABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT CENTRE' ON THE CAMPUS OF THE PRESTIGIOUS TATA ENERGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE (TERI), SOME 30 KM FROM DHANAWAS. INDIAN AND U.S. FIRMS WILL COLLABORATE TO MEET THE ENERGY NEEDS OF VILLAGES LIKE DHANAWAS, O'LEARY SAID. THE 20-YEAR-OLD TERI IS A LEADING SCIENTIFIC THINK TANK WHICH ADVISES NATIONAL POLICY MAKERS ON INDIA'S ENERGY NEEDS IN THE NEXT CENTURY AND HAS DESIGNED USEFUL RURAL ENERGY EQUIPMENT LIKE SMOKELESS COOKING STOVES FOR VILLAGE HOUSEWIVES. NANCY M. BACON, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.-BASED 'ENERGY CONVERSION DEVICES, INC.' SAYS HER COMPANY CAN OFFER TECHNOLOGY TO CONVERT SUNLIGHT INTO ELECTRICITY FOR VILLAGES LIKE DHANAWAS. INDIA HAS DEVELOPED A RANGE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVICES, INCLUDING SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS WHICH DO THIS. BUT HIGH COSTS ARE INHIBITING EFFORTS TO TAP THE SUN AS A CHEAP SOURCE OF RURAL ELECTRICITY. ''WE BELIEVE THAT WITH LARGE-SCALE MANUFACTURE, PHOTOVOLTAIC COSTS CAN BE BROUGHT DOWN FROM THE PRESENT SEVEN DOLLARS PER WATT TO 2.5 DOLLARS A WATT,'' SAYS BACON. IF PRODUCTION IS LARGE ENOUGH, IT CAN BE LOWERED TO ONE DOLLAR A WATT, ''WHICH IS VERY, VERY ATTRACTIVE EVEN FOR INDIA,'' SHE ADDS. HOWEVER, RURAL INDIA'S MOST PRESSING NEED IS FOR COOKING FUEL, LARGELY MET BY THE COUNTRY'S FORESTS. BUT DECLINING GREEN COVER AND GROWING POPULATION HAS LED TO THE SEARCH FOR ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES FOR VILLAGE KITCHENS. BIOGAS PLANTS USING CROP LEFTOVERS AND CATTLE WASTES TO PRODUCE FUEL GAS ARE BECOMING POPULAR. THE GOVERNMENT HAS SUBSIDISED CONSTRUCTION OF ABOUT TWO MILLION RURAL BIOGAS MACHINES. MORE THAN 80 PERCENT OF INDIA'S NEARLY HALF A MILLION HAMLETS ARE LINKED TO THE ELECTRICITY NETWORK, BUT GOVERNMENT-OWNED UTILITIES RUN UP LARGE LOSSES IN SELLING POWER AT HIGHLY SUBSIDISED RATES TO VILLAGES WHERE IT IS MOSTLY USED FOR FARM IRRIGATION PUMPS AND LIGHTING HOUSES. BIOMASS -- FIREWOOD, CROP RESIDUES AND LIVESTOCK DROPPINGS IS STILL THE MAIN SOURCE OF RURAL ENERGY, SPECIALLY FOR COOKING. DHANAWAS GOT ELECTRICITY LONG AGO, BUT VILLAGERS CONTINUED USING FIREWOOD AND CATTLE DUNG FUELCAKES TO COOK ON SMOKY STOVES. THE DRUDGERY OF COLLECTING FIREWOOD, PREPARING DUNGCAKES AND COOKING IN SMOKE-FILLED KITCHENS IS NOW A THING OF THE PAST FOR DHANAWAS HOUSEWIVES. FOR THE PAST DECADE, TERI EXPERTS HAVE BEEN HELPING THE HAMLET MEET ITS ENERGY NEEDS IN WAYS WHICH DO NOT STRIP FORESTS AND USE SIMPLE TECHNOLOGIES TO MAKE COOKING SIMPLER AND FASTER. FAST-GROWING FUELWOOD TREES ON VILLAGE WASTELAND AND BIOGAS PLANTS MEET COOKING ENERGY NEEDS. MOST HOUSES HAVE SMOKELESS KITCHEN STOVES. COSTING LESS THAN TWO DOLLARS, THIS USES AN ASBESTOS PIPE CHIMNEY ATTACHED TO A TRADITIONAL MUD STOVE. A TERI-DESIGNED GASIFIER, COSTING ABOUT 3,800 DOLLARS, BURNS CROP RESIDUES TO PRODUCE 6 KW ELECTRICITY. IT CAN POWER STREET AND HOME LIGHTS AND REPLACE THE DIESEL ENGINE PUMPSETS PRESENTLY USED BY MORE THAN A THIRD OF DHANAWAS FARMERS, SAY TERI EXPERTS. IT ALSO PRODUCES ENERGY-EFFICIENT AND LOW SMOKE BRIQUETTES WHICH CAN REPLACE FIREWOOD AND DUNGCAKES IN RURAL KITCHENS. (END/IPS/NE/MU/AN/94) Origin: New Delhi/INDIA-UNITED STATES/ ---- [c] 1994, InterPress Third World News Agency (IPS) All rights reserved May not be reproduced, reprinted or posted to any system or service outside of the APC networks, without specific permission from IPS. This limitation includes distribution via Usenet News, bulletin board systems, mailing lists, print media and broadcast. For more information, send a message to ips-info@igc.apc.org