The green mirage: Is any energy in Tamil Nadu sustainable?

DW (English)

Abandoned solar panels, broken wind turbines – Tamil Nadu’s renewable energy push is stalling. Rural communities are feeling the effects of corruption and neglect. Can the state still save its energy future?

Transcript

00:00Abundant sunshine and steady winds, Tamil Nadu has plenty of both.

00:06The state has harnessed this potential to become a leader in renewable energy in India.

00:11A key initiative is the Chief Minister's solar-powered greenhouse scheme, which equips

00:16low-income homes with solar panels, aiming to make them energy independent.

00:21However, in Tamil Nadu, power has been a contentious issue for decades.

00:28And it's the rural areas that have been facing the brunt of frequent power cuts.

00:32Since the 1990s, these outages have been driven by coal shortages, delays in adding capacity

00:38and grid management issues.

00:40Indeed, power cuts are like festivals – unpredictable, but everyone adjusts their schedule around

00:46them.

00:47Sometimes, we have no electricity for five hours a day, there are long power cuts during

00:54the rains, and at night, we don't have power for many hours.

01:00So in recent years, the government has been focusing on electrifying villages with renewable

01:04energy to ensure consistent energy access.

01:07But is this actually making local communities self-sufficient?

01:12I decided to dig deeper and find out what's behind this sunny promise.

01:16And so I travelled about 520 km from Chennai to Odhandure.

01:21This rural area has received international acclaim for being a self-reliant model village.

01:27But due to neglect, the renewable energy systems have crumbled down.

01:31A decade later, it's completely economically unviable, and not even a single house here

01:38is energy independent.

01:40I visited Shanmugam, who for 10 years served as the president of the panchayat, that is,

01:44the village council.

01:46And for the next 10 years, he assisted his wife who took on the role.

01:49His move to become energy independent with renewable energy was his brainchild.

01:56He empowered the village through irrigation, streetlights, and drinking water plants, which

02:01increased the village's electricity bills, amounting to double the panchayat's funds.

02:06So he began looking into alternative means of energy.

02:09In 2001, we introduced solar-powered streetlights, cutting consumption by 5%.

02:17A biomass gasifier covered 50% of our power bill for a few years.

02:22He brought in high-capacity sources like wind turbines.

02:25Then I had the government build green homes fitted with solar panels, making us more energy

02:30independent.

02:33Through this scheme, solar panels were fitted to the rooftops.

02:37The energy generated was then stored in batteries, which powered the household.

02:42Devi, who is 56 years old, fondly recalls the day she moved into her state-built home,

02:48proudly powered by solar energy.

02:53We had solar power for about one and a half years, but then it stopped working.

02:58We tried getting the battery repaired and even had the company come and check it, but

03:02nothing worked.

03:04I visited the current panchayat leader to understand the status now.

03:09So were people able to rely on this solar power for all their needs?

03:14Over the years, the government has given people free TVs, refrigerators and washing machines,

03:19so the energy demand has risen.

03:22The panels don't have the capacity to power these, so instead people rely on conventional

03:26power from the grid.

03:29We contacted the repair persons designated by the state to investigate any complaints

03:33regarding the solar panels and battery storage.

03:37People complained that within two years, the battery storage system stopped working.

03:42Now when we spoke to technicians and officials, they said that the reasons for this failure

03:47were, one, the government did not have a proper maintenance plan in place.

03:51Two, the local community was not educated about upkeep or capacity.

03:57And three, once the photo ops were done, there were no follow-up checks done to assess energy

04:02demand and usage.

04:03As people began using more appliances, the existing solar panels were insufficient.

04:08The people said they couldn't afford upgrading their solar system or battery storage.

04:17Consistent power could help small businesses thrive.

04:20Farmers could use modern irrigation systems, local shops could stay open longer, and it

04:25would support education.

04:26The villagers said they expected their badge of energy independence to improve their economic

04:30status, but not having reliable access to power has actually derailed development.

04:37Many here are day labourers.

04:39There has been no economic development in this area for years.

04:45Shanmugam explained to me, if a person can be self-sufficient by producing enough energy,

04:51there will be no need to rely on the grid, and only then will it reduce the dependence

04:55on coal power plants.

04:58Now, Tamil Nadu's energy transition is also heavily politicised.

05:02Power shortages and the debt-ridden electricity department are deeply linked to political

05:07agendas.

05:08All major parties promise 100 free units of electricity as a long-standing vote-bank tactic,

05:15even though it takes a severe financial toll on the electricity department.

05:20Hari, an energy transition researcher, says that there are a lot of people who don't need

05:25the subsidy, and this needs to be re-evaluated.

05:27I wouldn't say it's free electricity, it's subsidised electricity.

05:30The cost of electricity that has been given is either absorbed by the DISCOM through financial

05:36losses or it has been cross-subsidised in any of the high-paying consumers.

05:41But I think it should also be more targeted in terms of who requires it.

05:45Gandhi, a retired engineer with the department, added that the state needs to focus on reducing

05:50energy demands in order to make this transition truly sustainable.

05:53A mall demands nearly 3.5 megawatt.

05:57It is a load for nearly 10 villages.

06:00What's the use for a jewellery mortar to work up to 11 o'clock in the night?

06:04Because they are having money, they have the right over the energy.

06:07No, then you cannot save the environment.

06:10I visited the office of the state electricity department but couldn't meet the senior officials.

06:15I made several calls but didn't get an answer.

06:19The state's power consumption is expected to grow by 50% by 2030.

06:24The state plans to meet 50% of its total energy demand with renewable energy.

06:29Sure, Tamil Nadu is a leader in this space.

06:32But what does the state need to make this more sustainable?

06:341.

06:35Integrate solar and wind energy into the grid to ensure stability.

06:392.

06:40Re-evaluate electricity subsidies to make them more targeted.

06:443.

06:454.

06:46Engage rooftop solar panels, micro-grids and community solar projects in rural areas

06:50to reduce dependence on expensive centralised storage solutions like batteries.

06:555.

06:56Actively involve local communities to foster a sense of ownership and create job opportunities.

07:01Tamil Nadu's renewable energy story is a global cautionary tale highlighting the need

07:08for better planning and maintenance.

07:10Yet what's inspiring is the state's commitment to greening the idea of energy.

07:16With a fresh outlook and a department designated to look into our age, the future does look

07:21bright and green.

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