New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on Monday released the report of the Expert Committee on Energy Statistics, which has made key recommendations related to methodologies on the contribution of biofuels, filling up of demand and supply-side data gaps, especially captive power and consumption of electricity by electric vehicles (EVs).

The report is part of MOSPI’s efforts to harmonise India’s energy statistics database in consultation with Energy Ministries. It had constituted an Expert Committee on Energy Statistics under the chairmanship of the IIT-Delhi Director, Dr Rangan Banerjee, comprising senior-level representatives from line Energy Ministries and domain experts from research institutions like The Energy Research Institute (TERI) and the Alliance for Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE).

The Committee has recommended the adoption of international standards in the collection and dissemination of energy statistics in tabulation categories aligned with International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) Rev. 5, National Industrial Classification (NIC)-2025, Standards International Energy-product Classification (SIEC), etc. The Committee also urged for adaptation of uniform conversion factors by all the line Energy Ministries to ensure the inter-ministerial consistency of the energy statistics produced by them.

It also recommended a methodology for refinement of sectoral end-use consumption of imported coal (which is around 20 per cent of the total coal consumption in India) and also the domestic coal routed via auction, clubbed under the miscellaneous category. The methodology makes use of the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) database, which captures limited industry-wise consumption of coal. The Committee also recommended that the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) develop and maintain a comprehensive database under the Perform, Achieve, and Trade (PAT) scheme.

The Committee recommended a similar methodology for capturing and dissemination of the industry-wise end-use consumption of electricity in India by using the ASI database.

In the absence of consolidated national-level data, the United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD) in their annual publication of World Energy Balance estimates the consumption of bio-fuel in India to the tune of around 31-34 per cent of the total annual energy consumption of India; based on their own estimation. The Committee recommended a comprehensive methodology for addressing these important data gaps for incorporating the component of bio-fuel in the energy balance table of India.

The consumption of electricity via captive/off-grid mode and consumption of electricity by EVs in India are among the significant data gaps in the energy domain which have been addressed under this report. The Committee recommended an initial methodological framework for these, which needs further refinement by the users and researchers for suitable incorporation in the energy balance database of India.

The report presents a detailed account of these deliberations along with actionable recommendations aimed at strengthening the methodological robustness, analytical usefulness and inter-agency consistency of India’s energy statistics system. The recommendations are expected to support evidence-based policymaking, improve data quality and comparability, and facilitate better monitoring of India’s evolving energy landscape, the MOSPI statement said.

It emphasised that effective implementation of the recommendations will require continued collaboration and coordination among all Ministries and stakeholders concerned to build a more integrated, reliable and internationally comparable energy statistics framework for the country.

As India progresses towards its renewable energy targets and Net Zero aspirations, the need for a robust, comprehensive and harmonised energy statistics framework has become increasingly important to support evidence-based policymaking and facilitate effective monitoring of the ongoing energy transition, the statement added.

–IANS

sps/vd