Conference on Consumer-Centric Approaches for
E-Cooking Transition

Q. Why in News/Context -

·    On World Environment Day (June 5), a conference was organized in New Delhi by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power, Government of India.

·    The “Conference on Consumer-Centric Approaches for E-cooking Transition” brought together institutional consumers, consumer research groups, policy makers, think tanks and manufacturers in a discussion on strategy for the transition to electric cooking.

Q. Highlights of the conference:

·     The Additional Secretary asserted that once all Indian households have electricity access, e-cooking is going to be the future of the Indian kitchen. “We can promote electric cooking since the technology is available. It must be scaled up, a model needs to be developed so that the energy comes from renewable sources, so that there is aggregation of carbon credits. The model should work in such a way that it becomes affordable in both urban and rural areas.”

·     Highlighting the importance of affordability, he said that we must promote e-cooking from renewable energy sources such as solar power and thermal power. If we have standard and affordable models, we should be able to cover all urban areas within 2-3 years. By 2030, we will like to cover as many households as possible under e-cooking. This will contribute significantly to our fight against climate change.”

·      E-Cooking is a Win-Win for both Power Sector and Consumers.Speaking about Sustainable Development Goal 7.1, the Director General, Bureau of Energy Efficiency said that 2.1 billion people do not today have access to clean cooking, and are exposed to harmful ways of cooking. The first part – universal access to electricity – has been achieved in India. Most of our households also have access to LPG, thanks to UJALA.

·      We have to start with urban areas and move to Tier-2, Tier-3 towns and then to rural areas. By 2030, e-cooking is going to be a win-win solution for both the power sector and for consumers as well.

·      E-cooking Key to Mission LiFE: The focus on electric cooking is based on the recognition that e-cooking is a key pathway to Mission LiFE. Access to clean cooking energy is a crucial aspect of India’s energy transition journey. The choices we make regarding cooking fuel can have a significant impact on India's trajectory towards becoming a sustainable economy.