@article{4437078c0b9f4f90a57c9a466740277a,
title = "Niches, narratives, and national policy: How India developed off-grid solar for rural electrification",
abstract = "Decentralized renewables are critical for rural electrification in many countries in the Global South. As a case study of the development of decentralized renewables, we trace the evolution of India's off-grid solar sector from 1980 through 2020. We apply the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) to highlight interactions across three levels of actors, with additional attention to how their actions were shaped by evolving policy narratives. We find that the national government initiated the development of off-grid solar in the early 1980s due to concerns about energy security and rural poverty. The sector was then supported by international agencies focused on sustainable development, and more recently non-state players and private enterprise emerged as the innovators. This case study makes two more general contributions to the MLP literature. Empirically, it shows how regime actors can deliberately create niches. Theoretically, it shows how narrative analysis can be integrated into the MLP to shed light on the dynamics of energy transitions.",
keywords = "India, Multi-level perspective, Narrative analysis, Off-grid Solar, Rural electrification",
author = "Sushil Rajagopalan and Breetz, {Hanna L.}",
note = "Funding Information: Starting in the early 1990s, the World Bank invested in initiatives like the Renewable Resources Development Loan to accelerate the diffusion of renewable energy technologies in India. GEF provided $26 million to promote renewable energy in India, of which $10 million was dedicated for solar ( Miller and Hope, 2000 ). Similarly, the Asia Alternative Energy (ASTAE) Program was launched by the World Bank to support sustainable energy transitions in developing countries in Asia ( Martinot et al., 2001 ). ASTAE represented a multi-actor approach towards promoting renewable energy, as it was supported by Netherlands Directorate General for International Corporation (DGIS), US Department of Energy (USDOE), USAID, UNDP and others. Similarly, the Photovoltaic Market Transformation Initiative (PVMTI) was another program by IFC and GEF to accelerate the commercialization and financial viability of sustainable energy services, based on solar electricity (Magradze et al., 2007). In both the cases, India was seen as an easy ground for multi-lateral agencies given its immense potential for off-grid solar ( Miller, 2009 ), decade of research and demonstration, and established institutional mechanisms (particularly a fully-fledged agency dedicated to renewable energy). India thus became one of the earliest and largest beneficiaries, in terms of both technological deployment and as well as policy support provided through these programs. Similarly, UN agencies like United Nations Development Program (UNDP) engaged with India's renewable energy ministry in 1990s on DRE projects including off-grid solar for sustainable development. In terms of flow of international finances, India received commitments for $52.6 million for off-grid electrification between 1999-2006 ( World Bank, 2016 ). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022",
year = "2022",
month = jun,
doi = "10.1016/j.eist.2022.02.004",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "43",
pages = "41--54",
journal = "Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions",
issn = "2210-4224",
publisher = "Elsevier BV",
}