Panel: Rural Electricity Demand in India

Description

India is leading the global progress in electricity access. The country has recently declared 100% electrification, including its villages. However, questions remain - does everyone now have access to quality electric power? Is improved electricity access enabling electricity to all segments of customers? Do the electrified villages receive the quality and amount of electricity that is required to see improvements in their lives?

The Rockefeller Foundation, Smart Power India, and the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies' Initiative for Sustainable Energy Policy spear-headed a project to answer these questions, collecting primary research from over 10,000 households and 2,000 rural micro-enterprises across four Indian states. The resulting report, titled "Rural Electrification in India: Consumer Behaviour & Demand" furthers the discussion around India's rural electricity access, customer demand behavior, and service satisfaction.

Panelists include:

• Dr. Johannes Urpelainen, professor of Energy, Resources,and Environment at the School of Advanced International Studies and founding director of the Initiative for Sustainable Energy Policy (moderator)
• Dr. Sidhartha Vermani, senior director at Smart Power India
• Dr. Michaël Aklin, director of energy access at the Initiative for Sustainable Energy Policy and assistant professor of Political Science at the University of Pittsburgh
• Suman Sureshbabu, associate director of the Power Initiative at the Rockefeller Foundation