Energy in India
By Nadir Godrej
3rd June 2019
The elephant in the room is climate change
The weather now has a wider range
And though it seems exceedingly strange
Some blatant liars deny the change.
It wasn’t my intent to grouse
But this extends to the White House.
For energy we clearly see
That climate change is the key.
This is a problem for every nation
And until we succeed in sequestration
The constant emission of GHGs
Will very soon just have to cease.
Technology can pave the way
Technology can save the day.
It already has played a role
In getting us closer to the goal.
Economists quite quickly saw
That solar also tracks Moore’s law.
It already has surpassed the goal
Of being cheaper than dirty coal.
No one now can make the claim
That if development is our aim
We can’t afford to be green
No contradiction should be seen.
But to be completely fair
One challenge is clearly there
While wind and solar are both clean
One challenge though is clearly seen.
The critics justifiably scoff
These power sources go on and off
When both of them are in the mix
We easily can find a fix
The variability is then less
But all the same there is some stress.
Biomass can fill the breech.
For storage solutions we can reach
Super capacitors and batteries
Are the solutions one usually sees
But scientists are very bold
Thermal storage both heat or cold.
Mechanical is a way
Flywheels, pumps can also play.
I’m sure that all of you can see
We have enough technology.
The growth’s an exponential trend
We’re very far from the end.
But all the same we clearly see
The need in policy and economy
For constantly expanding innovation
In the service of the nation.
And though renewables have grown
Most of the money is still thrown
At coal. Hopefully we will see
Much progress in mobility.
The sharing economy is growing fast
Ownership’s a concept of the past.
If assets are better utilised
Of course the cost is optimised
And resources are better used
And Nature too is not abused!
There’s extra benefit we see
In the case of shared mobility.
The vehicle runs for many an hour.
This encourages electric power
As variable cost is very low
And even though as we all know
The capital cost is rather high
But since the cab is known to ply
For many hours, the high utilisation
Leads to lower amortisation.
And thus it is clearly seen
That shared mobility’s doubly clean.
Since Petrol and Diesel are quite dirty
Our Government by 2030
Wants an all electric fleet.
There is no better way to beat
Climate Change, that deadly scourge
Than to give up that senseless urge
To ruin our planet and our health.
We don’t need to compromise our wealth.
Green technologies can lower cost
By being green nothing’s lost.
But India is no pretty picture
The Discoms have their discomfiture.
Subsidies proliferate
The rate of theft is very great.
The Generators are not paid
Disastrously the game is played.
You can see I’m very cross
Alas! I am at a loss.
But don’t despair for very soon
You’ll hear from Arunabh and Arun.
Our speakers will show us the way
Their brilliance will save the day.
From them you’ll very clearly see
Innovation in technology and policy.
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