Activity 3(b) Work Package 3
Analyzing global, regional and national energy governance structures (fossil and non-fossil)

Background

Although states and societies have grappled with many global challenges in the past, their intensity and magnitude is a relatively recent phenomenon, requiring urgent adaptive responses. Governance has increasingly been pointed out as both a part of the problem, as well as its solution. This holds for energy – access to and the development of energy resources and the energy security of nations. A nation’s energy security entails not only the sustained supply and affordability of energy, but also sustainable development and efficient delivery of energy services to people. Without the mediating role of the state and indeed a broader understanding of what governance implies, effective management of energy concerns would be impossible. Governance of energy is therefore critical not only at different spatial scales (from the global to the local), but also in distinct, yet overlapping, policy arenas. Global energy governance structures are now getting more attention with the emergence of developing countries like China and India as major consumers of energy as well as their active involvement in acquiring energy assets abroad.

This component will seek to understand whether the energy governance mechanisms that exist have been able to address the challenges that each energy resource poses or whether they have been largely unsuccessful. What international institutions exist and what functions do they serve? Does the presence of more than one governance mechanism at the international level highlight an overlap in mandate, a duplication of work or work that is at cross-purposes? Similarly, at the national level in India, what are the varied governance and regulatory structures that govern different energy resources? What challenges do they face in affecting energy sector reform?

Objectives

• An analysis of the current governance mechanisms that prevail in the world. This analysis will be studied on the basis of the key fossil fuels, as well as renewables and alternative energy sources.
• The identification of shortcomings of extant supra-national governance mechanisms in addressing challenges and concerns that pertain to energy and suggestions for formulating and fashioning possibly new governance mechanisms.
• A case study of energy governance in an Indian State; the study also aims to formulate broad energy governance indicators through the analysis and identification of issues and challenges at the global and supra-national level. In order to come up with broad governance indicators, the study will also look at existing national governance mechanisms and institutions in select Asian countries (including India).

Expected Outcomes

• Research paper on multilateral energy governance, and related challenges and imperatives.
• Mapping of global and regional energy institutions and their characteristics.
• Papers on India’s international engagements for oil, coal and gas and the impact of global developments on its hydrocarbons future.
• Research paper on conceptualization of domestic energy governance.
• Sector papers on different energy resources (nuclear, coal, oil, and gas, renewable energy and power), delving into issues of governance in each sector in India.