Electricity access for Rural India:
the role of microgeneration
Ankit Kumar
Department of Geography
Research villages
The central grid
The Kerosene Oil
Solar lanterns and Charging station
Biomass Micro Grids
Its complex
Everyday politics of energy access
• Mobilise education for only those who already have access
to education
• Peoples’ participation highly contingent on how their
economies are shaped – whether domestic or commercial
• Limitations of time, space, capacities and services leave
spaces open for other energy sources
• people still exposed to the conditions – like health and
safety - that these projects claim to improve
Co presence of energy sources
Village
Light sources
Rangpur
Central grid, kerosene
Berangpur
Kerosene, Diesel generator micro grid
Bijuriya
Central grid, kerosene, solar lanterns, biomass micro grid, solar panels
Sahariya
Central grid, kerosene, solar lanterns
Haridiya
Central grid, kerosene, biomass micro grid
Maintenance
• How and why different actors differentially control different
parts of the project
• ‘Improper’ conducts generated by both people (illegitimate)
and experts (legitimate)
• Disciplinary and policing mechanisms often disrupted by sociocultural landscape
• Policing is met with various forms of resistances – leads to
vicious cycle of policing and resistance
Outputs
• Cultures of lights – paper in Geoforum (revisions being carried
out)
• Can be take care of the ‘All’ (from sustainable energy for all) –
International Institute for Environment and Development
• Photo exhibitions and lectures to non academic audience in
Durham and London
What about sustainable energy access?
http://www.ideatingenergy.com/
[email protected]
@ideatingenergy