The index aims to highlight the performance of states on a range of energy and climate issues so that countries can meet their global commitments to increase non-fossil fuel power and substantially reduce the economy’s emissions intensity by 2030.
Kerala, Punjab, Haryana and Uttarakhand topped the list of 20 largest states followed by Gujarat. Goa was followed by Tripura and Manipur among smaller states and Chandigarh was followed by Delhi and Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
how the index was created
The index lists states and territories on six broad parameters that measure the performance of their electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs); access, affordability and reliability of energy supplies; Clean Energy Initiative; energy efficiency; environmental sustainability; and new initiatives like electric vehicle penetration. The inaugural index was based on the figures of 2019-20.
SECI has evolved from NITI Aayog’s State Energy Efficiency Index that in 2020 assessed states and union territories on 68 qualitative, quantitative and outcome-based indicators.
The report said that by bringing in green initiatives, the new index seeks to focus on measures to reduce the climate impact of the energy sector, which accounts for 75% of India’s greenhouse gas emissions.
SECI looks at 27 indicators that are broadly divided by weighting in energy sector efficiency (55%) and climate initiatives (45%).
The report highlighted the paucity of data on certain parameters. Nearly half of the states had no data on electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and four states had no data on EV penetration. Larger states such as Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh were left out of the overall ranking due to differences in such figures.
Tamil Nadu Best on Efficiency, Chandigarh on Sustainability
Tamil Tamil Nadu Beats all others in terms of energy efficiency with a score of 85.4 against the all India average of 29.05. The parameter calculates energy saving efforts in industrial, public and commercial buildings and overall energy intensity. Nearly half of the states scored above India’s average, though not nearly as high as Tamil Nadu.
India’s commitment to the Paris Agreement in 2015 to curb greenhouse gases reduces the emission intensity of its GDP by 33-35% by 2030 from 2005 levels. It has already cut this count by 24% between 2005 and 2016.
SECI’s environmental sustainability parameter shows the way to do more on the count. It measures the emissions intensity of a state’s GDP, renewable energy capacity use, changes in forest cover in 2005, and forest carbon stock, which is the amount of carbon stored and stored in the state’s forest ecosystem.
Accordingly, Chandigarh scored the highest 62.5 marks as against the national average of 37.7, while Chhattisgarh scored 5.8 marks. Overall, smaller states scored better as most of them – Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Manipur and Nagaland – topped 40.
The report said that backward areas such as Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand need to improve if the country is to achieve its global climate commitments.