rajasthan: Energy Efficiency Index: Rajasthan front runner at number 2 | Jaipur News

JAIPUR: Rajasthan has bagged the second position in the State Energy Efficiency Index (SEEI)-2020 securing 61 points out of 100. After Karnataka which topped the list with 70 points, Rajasthan is the other state to have been assessed as the ‘front runner’. The index categorized 36 states and UTs under ‘front runner’, ‘achiever’, ‘contender’, and ‘aspirant’ based on their EE-related efforts and achievements.
In SEEI 2019, there was no state in the ‘front runner’ category. Karnataka and Rajasthan have undertaken various initiatives to upscale energy efficiency in the state, beyond notifications of relevant regulations, the report by the ministry of power said.

Rajasthan is the only state to have constituted an Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) cell in its Public Works Department (PWD) from the state fund. This cell operates under guidance of the chief architect of PWD, said the report.Among the other initiatives that contributed to the state’s high score is that it has taken steps to set up energy saving targets for EE (energy efficiency) in street lighting, water and sewerage, and non-PAT industries. It is one of the few states that reported a measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) mechanism for evaluating demand side management programmes.
The report said that Rajasthan has appointed dedicated agencies to conduct periodic energy audits of street lighting, water and sewerage infrastructure, and water treatment systems. The Rajasthan SDA organises the Rajasthan Energy Conservation Awards (RECA) every year for five sectors and 50 sub-sectors.
The index developed the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in collaboration with Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE) aims to help drive energy efficiency policies with implementation at the state and local level, highlight best practices, encourage healthy competition among states and track progress in managing energy footprint.
SEEI 2020 assessed states’ performance in energy efficiency through 68 indicators across six sectors such as buildings, industry, municipalities, transport, agriculture and distribution companies (discoms), and cross sector initiatives.
The indicators assess states’ performance in policy and regulation, financing mechanisms, institutional capacity, adoption of energy efficiency measures, and energy savings.