Go Electric Campaign

• 23 Feb 2021

Why in News

The central government has launched the “Go Electric" Campaign to spread awareness on the benefits of e-mobility and EV Charging Infrastructure as well as electric cooking in India.

Key Points

• About the Campaign:
  
  • Features:
    
    • To push the country towards 100% e-mobility and clean and safe e-cooking.
    • To create awareness at PAN-India level and reduce the import dependence of the country.
    • To move ahead on the path of a low carbon economy, thereby saving the country and the planet from the adverse impact of climate change.
  • Implementation:
    
    • Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), under the aegis of the Ministry of Power has been mandated to undertake an awareness drive for promoting public charging, e-mobility & its ecosystem.
• E-mobility:
  
  • About:
    
    • E-mobility moves away from existing carbon-emitting fossil fuels to using energy from electrical power sources (e.g. the National Grid) through external charging capability.
      
      • Currently, India is using 94 million tonnes of oil and petroleum products for transportation only which is expected to double by 2030.
      • For fossil fuels, India currently has an import bill of Rs. 8 lakh Crore.
    • It encompasses the use of fully electric, conventional hybrid, plug-in hybrid as well as hydrogen-fuelled vehicles.
    • The government of India has undertaken multiple initiatives to promote manufacturing and adoption of electric vehicles (EV) in India. One such initiative is ‘Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME-India)’ Scheme.
  • Electric Fuel as an Alternative Fuel:
    
    • Electric fuel is a major alternative for fossil fuels.
    • When compared to conventional fuels, the electric fuel has low cost, reduced emissions and it is also indigenous.
    • Electrification of public transport is not only economical but also eco friendly.
    • The usage of even 10,000 electric vehicles in Delhi can alone save Rs. 30 crore per month.
  • Green Hydrogen:
    
    • Green hydrogen in the commercial vehicle could be a game-changer move which would help in eliminating the crude requirement and imports in all possible ways.
      
      • Green hydrogen is produced using renewable energy and electrolysis to split water. It is distinct from:
        
        • Grey hydrogen, which is produced from methane and releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
        • Blue hydrogen, which captures those emissions and stores them underground to prevent them causing climate change.
    • Also, for heavy vehicles like buses, the ideal solution is Green Hydrogen.
    • The use of green energy generated from agriculture waste and biomass will benefit the farmers across the country.
    • The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy can produce the green hydrogen at cheap costs possible in India because of low solar prices.
• Electric Cooking:
  
  • The shift to induction cooking will bring the government closer to delivering on its promise to improve energy access.
  • Theoretically, if electric cooktops are adopted, universal electrification could translate into universal clean cooking as well.
  • An advantage of the electricity-based solution is that it can make use of solar power in both urban and rural areas.

Bureau of Energy Efficiency

• The Government of India set up the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in March 2002 under the provisions of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
• It assists in developing policies and strategies with the primary objective of reducing energy intensity of the Indian economy.
• Major Programmes: State Energy Efficiency Index, Perform Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme, The Standards & Labeling Programme, Energy Conservation Building Code.

Source: PIB