MoSPI Committee Recommends Granular Tracking as EV and Off-Grid Consumption Gaps Widen

MoSPI Committee Recommends Granular Tracking as EV and Off-Grid Consumption Gaps Widen​

A high-level expert committee from the Ministry of Statistics (MoSPI) has urged a significant overhaul of India's energy tracking mechanisms. The committee, chaired by IIT-Delhi Director Rangan Banerjee, highlighted the urgent need for greater sectoral detail and standardized classifications across all national energy data sets. This push comes as India strives to balance its rapidly rising energy demand with crucial net-zero and renewable energy targets.

Standardizing Energy Data Collection Across Ministries​

The expert committee reviewed the existing energy statistics framework and stressed the necessity of adopting uniform standards nationwide. It recommended that all line energy ministries must implement standard sectoral end-use categories when reporting the consumption of various energy commodities. These categories should be aligned with established international frameworks, such as the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) and National Industrial Classification 2025.

Uniform conversion factors were also a key recommendation to ensure data comparability across different ministries. The committee underscored that without consistent metrics, accurately assessing national energy consumption remains challenging.

Addressing Gaps in Coal and Electricity Tracking​

The panel specifically flagged the need for enhanced monitoring of coal usage. While imported coal accounts for approximately 20 percent of India's total coal consumption, the current data provides limited information on its sector-wise end use. The committee suggested utilizing the Annual Survey of Industries database to refine sectoral end-use estimates for both domestically sourced and auction-routed coal.

A similar call was made regarding electricity consumption. To accurately estimate demand across industrial sub-sectors, the report recommends leveraging ASI (All India Survey) data.

Integrating Bio-fuels and Emerging Energy Sources​

The committee pointed out a gap in the consolidated national-level data concerning bio-fuels. To address this, the panel recommended adopting a methodology developed by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and TERI to accurately incorporate bio-fuels into India's energy balance calculations.

Crucially, the report emphasized better tracking of emerging consumption areas, including captive power and off-grid electricity usage. These are vital metrics for understanding the full scope of the nation’s evolving energy landscape.

Tracking Electric Vehicle Consumption Growth​

A particular focus area highlighted by the MoSPI committee is the consumption pattern related to electric vehicles (EVs). Given India's ambitious EV30@30 vision, it was deemed essential to systematically estimate and disseminate electricity consumption attributed to EVs.

The report provided context on EV market growth, noting that annual EV sales grew from approximately 50,000 units in 2016 to over 2.3 million units by 2025. This represents a significant surge, accounting for roughly 8 percent of total new vehicle registrations.

Future Projections for EV Electricity Demand​

Currently, the electricity load attributable to EVs is estimated at around 20.07 TWh per year, which equates to about 1.1 percent of India's total electricity generation. However, the report cites NITI Aayog estimates that project this figure could sharply climb by 2030, potentially reaching between 100 and 640 TWh per year. This substantial projected rise underscores the criticality of enhanced tracking systems recommended by the panel.