India will chart its own course of energy transition in a responsible manner even as it is said to be a key driver of global energy demand in coming decades, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Tuesday.
As the world battles alarming rates of carbon emission threatening the environment?, countries around the globe face pressure to reduce hydrocarbon use and switch to greener sources such as renewable power and electric vehicles.
Speaking at a ministerial dialogue at India Energy Forum by CERAWeek, Pradhan said India is the third largest energy consumer in the world in absolute terms after the US and China.
However, per capita energy consumption in India is only about one-third of the world's average. "This makes it imperative to ensure energy justice to all, which essentially means access to energy in an affordable and sustainable manner," he said.
Given its huge energy appetite and growth potential, India will be the key driver of global energy demand in the coming decades, he said.
"In fact, it will experience the fastest growth in energy consumption among all large economies. To meet this huge demand, India would need a healthy mix of all commercially viable energy sources."
Natural gas, he said, offers an option of a balancing fuel. It "has proven capability to compliment renewables."
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