Electric cooking is the way to go

Electric cooking is the way to go

The idea of using electricity for cooking, as suggested by Union minister Piyush Goyal, is most welcome. This transition from using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and piped gas to electricity for cooking would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ease the burden on the central exchequer and eliminate a portion of hydrocarbons from the nation’s import bill, improving the balance of payments.

With electricity, indoor air pollution would be even lower than in the case of natural gas or LPG. Bottling cooking gas in cylinders and ferrying the cylinders across the land is an energy- and emission-intensive activity. Power lines already reach every village, so the additional cost of transporting energy would be minimal, when electricity takes the place of cooking gas. Use of renewable sources for power generation, rather than coal, would reduce the carbon footprint even further. Goyal points to one challenge — technology that suits the demand of the Indian kitchen. Developing a technology that is better than induction cooking, which is superior to old-style hotplates, will provide a critical boost. But this would not suffice. Studies found that a critical hurdle in the shift from traditional biomass to LPG for cooking has been price. The biomass is gathered, not bought. The labour involved, mostly of women and children, is not monetised. So, effectively, the cooking fuel is free. Even with subsidies, the LPG cylinder cannot compete. Therefore, it is critical to demonstrate economic value for the shift to electricity.

Simultaneously, utilities must improve their ability to bill and collect. Without this, the shift to electricity would further cripple the sector. Distributed generation and net metering would help. So would the Centre devolving a part of its macro level savings to the states.