Bad news in a very good story in the renewable energy sector in Bangladesh: A specific proposal
Its time to separate the lost souls from the engieering sector of Bangladesh and recycle. Send them to the village to replace some of the cows for our farmers, if possible. With two years of such community service, they will have hopefully regain their souls and will be ready serve their profession again.
There are some encouraging projects and movement in the policy level that is going on in the energy sector of Bangladesh. It should however be pointed out that things takes time to change, specifically in the energy sector. So, its important to distinguish our everyday misery with electricity and what should we expect in few years time.
Its not possible to go through all the issues here, however, we would like to point out an important aspect of the problem and two implications.
With the eminent success in this long neglected topic, the main culprits (read: senior engineers e.g. chief engineers and policy making members in different power bodies such as PDB, REB, DESA, etc) are also sensing this. Its not surprising that they will sense the change in the wind, they are also worried that their channels of earning money may vanish soon. So it seems that they are doing two things:
1. They are changing their talking points, they are starting two championing all the good things that could be done in the power sector and those of which they have so far suppressed. You may ask whats wrong with that? They could not support all the good ideas so far since there was not any environment. Now that things are changing in the policy level with governments active support for good changes, these engineers and members of the different policy making boards are also getting on board, that should be seen as a good thing - why should we incriminate them with reference to the past mistakes. To answer that we would point out that the mistakes shouldn't go unrecognized and unaccounted for. Mistakes should be punished. Punishment can be creative in the sense that they do not have to go to jail, but unless its not identified, what prevents that they won't do the same again?
2. But more important thing is who will make sure that these technical and policy making leaderships (who have presided over the biggest mess of our time), who makes sure that they are not going to subotaging the whole thing? Off course they are smart enough to reach on top, they will find their way to slow down the progress and/or kill the whole thing. History of past 17 months tells that for any person who are informed. You are not convinced? Let us tell you two things to prove our point:
(I). There is a talk in the policy level about how to encourage the consumers to buy energy-saving bulbs which has the potential to save about 500 MW electricity in the grid. One proposal that are being talked about in the policy making level to tie this encouragement project with the system loss of power. What they are saying is people will not change to energy-saving bulbs because many consumers are stealing the electricity and hence already paying less. Their contention is that since consumers are already paying less, they will not be motivated to change from conventional bulb to energy-saving bulb. So, they are saying you have to stop the stealing (reduce system loss) in order to make the energy-saving bulb adoption. So one of the prescription is to tie this project with the billing of REB/DESA/PDB and somehow achieve the goal in a very non-market and dubious way.
On the face of it, this may seem very intelligent. However, we would like to point out that this is just another ploy to slow down the progress and/or kill the initiative. They are trying to tie the two problems (which are independently very complex) together and suggesting a policy that is prescribing that you can not achieve the second goal (energy-saving bulb adoption) unless you achieve the first goal (reduce system loss). Sounds great. We can solve the both problem, isn't it?
Think again! What they are actually might be trying is this: They know how to kill any project that aims to reduce system loss. Its not just possible given the economic framework. So, when they suggest the policy they know that the first goal will not be achieve, so the second goal will not also be achieved.
However, what is the alternative that we are suggesting? Its very plain. You have two problem and they are independently complex enough. Do not tie them together.
Use a market based mechanism to reduce the entry-cost of the consumers by either subsidizing the consumers or help reducing the production cost of the energy-saving bulb. This will make sure the majority of the consumers will switch to energy-saving bulb. A specific proposal will be to separate 1000 crore taka (a certain percentage of the installation cost for a 500 MW power-plant) and use that money to encourage consumers to switch. Government could employ agencies to replace any functioning traditional bulbs with a energy-saving bulb for free. Just make a program like OMS for a short period of time. That will create awareness. Do it in all the areas where local government elections are scheduled for next month. This will be a good project to see whether the candidates uses their time to demonstrate what kind of public office holder they will be.
Once an awareness campaign is done successfully, make those bulb available in the regular stores for the same price of the traditional bulbs. Ban those bulbs, if you can. Force the local manufacturers or importers to switch, give them one time cash incetives.
That solves one problem - the second problem (energy-saving bulb adotpion). Majority of the consumers will switch.
However, this will also help solve the first problem, too (reduce system loss). How? As those dishonest consumers (who are stealing now with the help of crooked engineers) will notice that electricity bills are going down. So, there will be less incentive for stealing. And probably that is the big fear of those cheif engineers and members of the policy making bodies (public jodi valo hoye jai, tahle tu oder aar khana thakbe na).
(II). With certain kind of euphemism with the good success story in the renewable energy in Bangladesh, the country is going in the right direction with or without the help of the government policy-makers. This progress is happening mostly in the private sectors and with the leadership role of certain NGOs. While the culprits in the government agencies are trying their best to kill or slow down the progress with instruments that are within their reach, they are also ploying to kill the euphemism in the market place. Want an example? Allow us to give one. They will often tell you that Bangladesh can't fully depend on the renewables, they will give one example of Germany since they have the most advanced policy in this renewable sector.
So, the example that they cite is this: Even Germany has a target to achieve 22% of renewable energy in the grid. So, the implication is that we should not aim higher than that. But what they do not tell you is this: Germany's 22% is much higher than our total demand. What can you conclude from that? Any school going boy will say that if Germany can aim to achieve 22% dependency on renewable energy, then we can achieve 100% dependency, isn't it? However, those who understand the nature of load in the enegy grid, they will tell you, theoretically we should not be aiming for 100%, but nothing prevents one to aim for a renewable dependency of 85% in Bangladesh, given the current state of energy consumption. Off course, over time, as we develop, we may have to to reduce that load to about 50%. In other words, 50% renewable dependency is a very realistic, achievable and theoretically possible goal for Bangladesh to pursue.
Now the quesiton is whether Dr. Tamim has the materials to understand that and off course, whether he has the will-power to do what it takes to remove the criminals from the policy making bodies in PDB, REB, DESA, etc.
Only time will answer that question.
If you thought some of the ideas are worth of your reading time, please forward it to others. If you have an ear to the columnists in regular traditional media, please forward it to them. If you have an ear to the journalists and news editors of the electronic media, discuss it with them. Hope they would look at the suggestions and give due diligence.
Thanks for your time,
Innovation Line
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Note: This is a freelance column, published mainly in different internet based forums. This column is open for contribution by the members of new generation, sometimes referred to as Gen 71. If you identify yourself as someone from that age-group and want to contribute to this column, please feel free to contact. Thanks to the group moderator for publishing the article as Creative Commons contents.
Dear readers, also, if you thought the article was important enough so it should come under attention of the head of the government please forward the message to them. Email address for the Chief Advisor: feeedback@pmo.gov.bd_ or at http://www.cao.gov.bd/feedback/comments.php .
The more of you forward it to them, the less will be the need to go back to street agitation. Use ICT to practice democracy. Also send to your favourtie TV channel:
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