In India, one of the most prevalent problems especially in summers is shortage of electricity. Power cuts, low voltage and voltage fluctuations plague the system. With demand exceeding supply, severe peak and energy shortages have become a consistent phenomenon in almost all the cities including the capital.

In the past, there have been attempts to make reforms in the power sector but nothing substantial has been achieved. Though the government opened up the power sector to private investments in 1991, the initiative was not very successful and the state electricity boards still continue to be the main agencies responsible for the generation and supply of electricity in India today. The problem lies in the poor financial conditions of the SEBs which have resulted in inadequate investment in additional generation capacity, which further aggravates the existing gap between supply and demand.
In recent years, though there has been considerable development in terms of installed capacity and generation but still there is a long way to go in order to achieve efficiency in the system and make the sector sustainable. Rising population and increasing economic activity has lead to a strong demand for energy across India. The all India requirement for electricity in May, 2007 was recorded to be 61,249 MU in contrast to the 56,564 MU available (CEA, 2007). Delhi experienced a deficit approximately 100 MW for the peak demand experienced and the peak met for the same month. In both cases the available energy includes the transmission and distribution loss which implies that the net availability is even lower. With the current trends of population rise, industrialization, income growth and urbanization it is likely that the demand for electricity and its consumption will rise significantly in the coming years. Moreover, subsidized prices of power in some sectors have led to its inefficient use. India’s projected rate of increase for electricity consumption is one of the highest in the world. In such a scenario the problem of power shortage will become even more adverse. This raises a concern for the sustainability of India’s energy security in the long term.

The present power technology mix relies largely on domestic coal with a share of around 70%. But this has an important implication on the environment. Combustion of fossil fuel is a major culprit for increasing the levels of pollution in the natural environment. Burning coal produces far more CO2 than oil or natural gas. Reliance on coal for power generation has led to a rapidly rising trend of energy emissions intensities. This is more evident by the fact that India is the world's fourth biggest greenhouse gas emitter and produces about 4 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. The 1,884 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent it emitted in 2000 rank after the US (6,928), China (4,938) and Russia (1,952). * Emissions are said to be growing by 2 to 3 percent annually. The main contributor is the energy sector, which the government wants to grow significantly by 2012, to link up the half a billion people living without electricity. Coping up with the rising energy requirements and to shorten the demand supply gap enormous new financial investments will be needed in the power sector. The utilities will be even more strained and pressurized to increase their generation capacity and strengthen the distribution network and infrastructure. To meet the immediate demand, the additional generation will be mostly coal based by setting up more power plants as setting up infrastructure for other alternative sources such as hydel or wind power, and commercialize them on a large scale would take time. This additional generation has the potential to worsen the adverse impacts, which result due to electricity generation from coal. Thus, more demand will result in more emissions of GHGs. This trend will augment India's share in the global greenhouse gas emissions in the next few decades, raising concerns about the environmental impacts of power plant projects.

The efficiency of any sector seeks contribution from all its key stakeholders including the producers, governing bodies and the consumers. Likewise, to make the power sector sustainable and efficient in India efforts are required from every side. We often blame the government for not doing its job properly and not taking the appropriate steps to provide better services but it is not the only body to be blamed. An assessment in our homes and workplace will indicate that to some extent we are also responsible for this situation. Ill management, lack of awareness or use of inefficient appliances results in a large amount of electricity being wasted. We don’t conserve it when we get it and we crib when there is a shortage.

Energy conservation can be achieved by managing the use of electricity and using it more efficiently e.g., by using more efficient lamps and machines. There is a vast scope of efficiency improvement and energy conservation in all the sectors which utilize power. One of the major ways to mitigate the adverse impacts of the power sector is Demand Side management (DSM). DSM can be defined as a Utility initiated and supported program, which aims at changing the timing or quantity of electricity consumed. DSM basically involves bringing improvements in the efficiency of energy used in various sectors through measures such as awareness promotion, information dissemination, training and energy audits.

People’s power campaign along with NDPL aims at generating this awareness among the consumers and to promote energy conservation practices. The CAMPAIGN works to make PEOPLE aware of the efficient usage of POWER by minimizing wastage. Precisely, PPC promotes Demand Side management among various consumers. Efficient usage can save electricity. Simple practices such as, using CFL lamps which are much efficient as compared to the normal bulbs, switching off lights when not in use, not leaving the appliances in the stand-by-mode etc. can make a big difference in the overall electricity demand scenario. Energy conservation and efficient usage can not only save the environment but also has the potential to lower down the monthly power bills. In other words, it is far cheaper to save electricity in many situations, than to build new power generation plants and strengthen the existing transmission and distribution networks. WWF is working with government and utilities to raise awareness on this issue to promote best management practice in both sectors leading to an environmentally responsible growth pattern. During the last one year of activities, the campaign has gained success in developing the people’s power network among wide ranges of stakeholders like consumers, civil society organization, technical institution etc.