TY - JOUR
T1 - Inducing the shift from flat-rate or free agricultural power to metered supply
T2 - Implications for groundwater depletion and power sector viability in India
AU - Kumar, M. Dinesh
AU - Scott, Christopher A.
AU - Singh, O. P.
N1 - Funding Information:
Participation of co-author Christopher A. Scott has been in part supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Grant No. EFRI-0835930 (Resilient and Sustainable Infrastructures). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
PY - 2011/10/28
Y1 - 2011/10/28
N2 - India's farm sector sustains livelihoods for hundreds of millions of rural people, but faces serious management challenges for land, water, and energy resources. Growing dependence on groundwater threatens water resources sustainability and power sector viability. Sustaining India's rising prosperity rests on managing groundwater. This study shows that raising power tariffs in the farm sector to achieve efficiency and sustainability of groundwater use is both socially and economically viable. The question is about how to introduce this shift. This paper discusses five different options for power supply, metering and energy pricing in the farm sector and the expected outcomes of implementing each vis-a-vis efficiency of groundwater and energy use, equity in access and sustainability of groundwater. It concludes that establishing an energy quota for each farm-based on sustainability considerations, and metering and charging pro rata for power used are the best options to manage groundwater and the energy economy.
AB - India's farm sector sustains livelihoods for hundreds of millions of rural people, but faces serious management challenges for land, water, and energy resources. Growing dependence on groundwater threatens water resources sustainability and power sector viability. Sustaining India's rising prosperity rests on managing groundwater. This study shows that raising power tariffs in the farm sector to achieve efficiency and sustainability of groundwater use is both socially and economically viable. The question is about how to introduce this shift. This paper discusses five different options for power supply, metering and energy pricing in the farm sector and the expected outcomes of implementing each vis-a-vis efficiency of groundwater and energy use, equity in access and sustainability of groundwater. It concludes that establishing an energy quota for each farm-based on sustainability considerations, and metering and charging pro rata for power used are the best options to manage groundwater and the energy economy.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2011.08.033
DO - 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2011.08.033
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:80054057415
SN - 0022-1694
VL - 409
SP - 382
EP - 394
JO - Journal of Hydrology
JF - Journal of Hydrology
IS - 1-2
ER -