A recent news report mentioned that the Ministry for Renewable Energy had recommended the states form a separate agency for energy efficiency. I see significant merits in this idea.
I had interacted with multiple state nodal agencies for renewable energy - in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Maharashtra, Punjab, and Chattisgarh. While there was scope for improvements in the functioning of almost every one of these agencies, I found that even with the minimal financial and human resources they were provided, these agencies were able to significantly accelerate renewable energy projects in their respective states.
Until now, energy efficiency within states was most likely taken care of by this nodal agency, but given the importance of energy efficiency for the country's decarbonization and also the specialized nature of expertise needed for industrial energy efficiency projects, a separate nodal agency staffed with officers who can interact well with senior industry leaders from the engineering/operations side could be of significant help in accelerating industrial energy efficiency adoption across many states.
