Recognizing the outstanding service in the area of sustainable energy solutions, Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania has awarded the prestigious Carnot prize to Union Finance and Railways Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday.
According to reports, a team from the University of Pennsylvania had come to India to award the 4th Carnot prize to Minister Piyush Goyal for his distinguished policy contributions towards the area of sustainable energy solutions. Former Power Minister Goyal received the award for bringing in transformational changes in its power sector, including the fast-track electrification of nearly 18,000 villages in some of the most remote and inaccessible parts of the country.
Goyal shared a Tweet stating that he dedicates the award to PM Modi’s leadership and all workers in the energy sector.
Honoured to receive the #CarnotPrize2018. Dedicate this award to the enabling & inspiring leadership of PM @NarendraModi, & all those who work in the energy sector helping bring electricity & light to the lives of crores of poor fellow Indians. pic.twitter.com/XHWpwyZnkr
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) January 30, 2019
Kleinman Center for Energy Policy presenting the honour to Piyush Goyal said that the award is in recognition of “the pathbreaking transformations in India’s energy sector” under the Modi government. Goyal, who was earlier the power minister had been awarded the prize in October 2018, however, had to skip the event because of the Amritsar train tragedy. The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy also acknowledged India’s “solid footing to reach a 40 per cent renewable mix by 2030”.
Carnot Prize, named in memory of French scientist Sadi Carnot, is considered as one of the most prestigious awards in the energy sector. The prize, which is given annually, recognises distinguished contributions to energy policy through scholarship or practice. Previously, the award has named Dr Daniel Yergin, Vice-chairman of IHS, Dr Fatih Birol, Director of International Energy Agency, Gina McCarthy, a career public servant in fields of energy and environment as winners.
Accepting the award Goyal stated that it was “both a personal honour and a tribute to the efforts of all involved in this great work throughout India to be recognised with the Carnot Prize by the University of Pennsylvania”.
“The nation has progressed from a period of energy shortage to a period of grappling with surplus power. I wonder whether I have myself to blame for this problem because but for the energy efficiency programme, which we rolled out in such a big way, possibly another 20-30 of these power plants would have been running very well,” Goyal said in his acceptance speech on Wednesday.
Goyal said the LED programme has reduced the price of energy-efficient bulbs by 87%. Attributing his success to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his team, Piyush Goyal said that PM Modi had advised him that such programmes can be effectively implemented if they are properly monitored, which prompted him to launch websites and phone apps that gave live updates on the status of the programme. “The entire spend to buy these LED bulbs was $2 billion, which is saving at least $7 billion in electricity bills every year,” he said.
Fatih Birol, the director of the International Energy Agency, who is one of the recipients of the award, has also reportedly praised Goyal for the LED bulbs distribution programme and for electrifying every village in the country.
Meanwhile, Piyush Goyal has stated that he will donate the award money of $25,000 to the International Solar Alliance to constitute the Diwakar Award which will every year recognise an outstanding organisation working for the betterment of special children and expanding the use of solar energy.
