Recognising the importance and benefits of energy efficiency and energy security, the government of India has enacted the Energy Conservation Act, 2001 which came into force with the establishment of Bureau of Energy Efficiency on 1st March, 2002. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency shall be responsible for spearheading the improvement of energy efficiency of the economy through various regulatory and market based instruments. Under the provisions of this Act, the State government have been empowered to implement the provisions of the Act in coordination with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency.

The project’s purpose is to develop capacity and competence of as well as strengthen the network between all relevant staff at local and state level in selected states in India in order to meet the challenges of sustainable energy management and effective implementation of the Act.

The overall objective is to contribute to marketing and accelerated uniform enforcement of the Indian Energy Conservation Act on local as well as state level in support of a sustainable national energy policy. This is being achieved through

• Establishing a network of Energy Conservation Action Teams (ECAT) consisting of members from State Designated Agency and departments dealing with energy, energy efficiency, urban planning, infrastructure and municipal corporations.

• Consulting, coaching and training of key staff in the selected state agencies.

• Networking within India and Europe through one to one continuous consulting.

• Defining and strengthening the position of the state agencies and other local departments with respect to stakeholders and most important the state level decision makers.

• Enabling selected states key urban centres to be one of the first to market and enforce the Act as pioneers in India and to set a model for Asia.

• Identifying potential demonstration projects in the areas of efficient use of energy in buildings, efficient street lighting, efficient municipal water pumping, public awareness and behaviour change campaigns, industrial energy efficiency triggered by accredited energy auditors, etc. and implement the demonstration projects.

• Facilitate experience exchange between Europe and India in particular energy efficiency policy.

• Initiate more clean development mechanism projects in India.