Bharat SainiLast Updated on April 5, 2019 by Bharat Saini
Carnot Prize, the Kleinman Center’s annual recognition of distinguished contributions to energy policy through scholarship or practice, the most prestigious award in the energy sector, was formally presented to Piyush Goyal, presently Union Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs, Railways & Coal and former Minister of Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Government of India, in recognition of the path-breaking transformations in India’s energy sector, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 30 January 2019. Goyal had previously been unable to accept the award in the United States of America, due to the unfortunate train tragedy that took place in Amritsar on Friday 19 October 2018
“It is both a personal honour as well as 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”, stated Piyush Goyal, who has decided that the award money of $25,000 as part of the 2018 Carnot Prize, will be donated to the International Solar Alliance to institute the Diwakar Award. The Diwakar award will recognise, every year, an outstanding organisation that has been working for special children and maximising the use of solar energy.
Carnot Prize is named in memory of French scientist Sadi Carnot, who in 1824 published Reflections on the Motive Power of Fire, which became the basis for the second law of thermodynamics. Carnot recognized that the power of the steam engine would “produce a great revolution” in human development. The Carnot Prize is intended to honour those who have revolutionized our understanding of energy policy.
Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania awards 4th annual Carnot Prize – 2018 to Union Minister Piyush Goyal. The 1st recipients of Carnot Prize in 2015 was Daniel Yergin, Vice Chairman of IHS Markit and founder of IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates, a leading authority on energy, geopolitics, and the global economy, bestselling author, and a winner of the Pulitzer Prize. The 2nd recipient of Carnot Prize in 2016 was Faith Birol, Executive Director International Energy Agency; and the 3rd recipient of Carnot Prize in 2017 was Gina McCarthy, Former Administrator Environmental Protection Agency.
The 2018 Carnot Prize is an acknowledgement of India’s climate conscious, and development driven energy governance that is fuelling the aspirations of 125 crore people; and recognises India’s efforts towards eliminating energy poverty with sustainable energy solutions by transformational changes in its power sector during Goyal’s tenure as Union Minister of Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, including:
- Fast-track electrification in some of the most remote and inaccessible parts of the country, as India eliminated decades of darkness in more than 19000 villages as on 28 April 2018.
- Rural electrification drive helped in achieving ‘24×7 Affordable, Environment Friendly Power for all’.
- Saubhagya Programme was the last-mile connectivity to every household in the villages.
- In the last four years, energy efficiency has become a people’s movement in India, making the Government’s UJALA scheme the world’s largest LED distribution programme, along with private sector participation, 143 crore LED bulbs have been provided.
Mark Alan Hughes, founding faculty director, Kleinman Center, commended India’s electrification drive – “Providing power to the world’s energy poor turns on the lights – and also empower education, sanitation, and health care. It closes the gap between the haves and have nots.”
India’s Prime Minister has called climate conservation an article of faith for India. The massive thrust to green energy is reflected in India’s 175 GW target by 2022, which is the world’s largest renewable expansion programme.
Prime Minister gave the vision of “one world, one sun, one grid” while addressing the member nations of the International Solar Alliance, and India is playing its role as a committed solar leader through steady progress on all green energy goals.
Carnot Prize recognises India’s “solid footing to reach a 40% renewable mix by 2030”, stated Kleinman Center for Energy Policy.
