The World Resources Institute (WRI) India launched an online, open-source, and interactive geospatial platform for Assam.

In partnership with the Assam Energy Development Agency (AEDA), it inaugurated the Energy Access Explorer (EAE) in Guwahati in partnership on Wednesday.

The platform will help visualize the extent of energy access in Assam’s health education and livelihood infrastructure. The platform will lend a hand to policy-makers, renewable energy industry entrepreneurs, investors, and researchers from the development sector to make integrated and impactful decisions to expand energy access across the state in the most efficient, cost-effective and sustainable way possible.

According to Niraj Verma, principal secretary, Department of Power, Assam Government, “The government of India’s Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) attempts to provide quality and reliable power for both rural and urban areas. EAE could help us track the electricity demand as we expand this scheme. Most importantly, it will help us validate our claims on energy provision and can provide us mid-course correction possibilities”.

Although Assam made great strides over electricity provisioning to homes in the past decade, 37.7 percent of health sub-centres and 41 per cent of schools lack access to reliable and sustainable power in rural Assam. The downfall in the rate was highest during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In recent years, both the central and state governments of India, have pointed out the need to enhance energy access to the country. In sectors such as house-electrification, healthcare, education and livelihood facilities, it lacks access to reliable, sustainable and affordable electricity supply.

According to OP Agarwal, CEO, WRI India, “EAE leverages the power of satellite imagery, combined with local data to visualise power supply and demand. It equips electricity planners, investors and entrepreneurs with data needed to close the access gap. We are creating similar platforms for analysis in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and also India”.

In the words of Mrinal Krishna Chaudhury, Director, AEDA, “In extending our support to WRI India’s EAE platform, we want to spread a message that India is on the cusp of energy transition globally and AEDA will ensure Assam is not left behind. We want renewable energy entrepreneurs to leverage the data provided by the platform and create a scenario of viability and affordability for themselves and consumers”.

A training session was held to educate and inform stakeholders from different departments of state and private sectors. Another training session will be held in the Dhubri District of Assam in September.