Standing Committee on Energy – Background, need and role
In India, electricity falls under the concurrent list – that is, on which both the central and state governments have jurisdiction. Broad level programmes, policies and schemes are formulated at Central level. State Governments are responsible for planning the generation capacity, delivering and distributing electricity to all, scheduling and implementation etc. States also have separate state electricity regulatory commissions to determine the tariffs for both consumers and suppliers. Most programs related to renewable energy, on the other hand, are initiated and by the central government but, implementation, progress and success of any program or scheme falls under the onus of the state government. The state Government can also design policies and schemes on its own for renewable energy technologies. One of the functions of the Standing Committee on Energy in State Assemblies is reviewing the progress and success of the programs run in the state.