In today’s world when rapid success is being achieved in the field of science and technology, industries are also growing speedily. But industrialization will not take place, If there is no energy available to run our factories and industries. Therefore, one of the major concerns of the world today is to increase the availability of energy by producing more energy. This is done by tapping new sources of energy as well as by conserving energy because energy saved is energy generated.
India today consumes energy from many sources which are generally grouped under two broad categories. Coal, oil and natural gas, hydroelectric power and nuclear fuels come under the `Commercial energy’ category. The other is non-commercial category under which we have fuel wood, vegetable wastes and animal dung etc.
The great success India has achieved in the fields of industry, transport and agricultural has been possible only because of ready availability of cheaper energy: yet the energy scene in India today is far from being satisfactory. The present per capita commercial energy consumption is only about a tenth of the world’s average consumption is only about a tenth of the world’s average consumption of energy. It also, in a way, is one of the reasons of our low level of income.