Nagaland, WRI India Deploy Energy Access Explorer

• NGISRSC and WRI India signed an MoU to strengthen climate-resilient energy  planning in Nagaland
• The open-source geospatial platform integrates energy demand, infrastructure, socio-economic, and climate
• EAE supports decarbonisation of public infrastructure, aligns with Nagaland’s development priorities

In a significant move to enhance the energy planning process with clean and dependable energy, the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Nagaland GIS and Remote Sensing Centre (NGISRSC) and WRI India recently took place at the NGISRSC headquarters in Kohima.

The collaboration is designed to improve the state's capability to recognize and choose locations for the application of sustainable energy methods through the Energy Access Explorer (EAE), a user-friendly, live geospatial platform that is also open-source.

As a result of this partnership, NGISRSC and WRI India would together provide EAE as a tool for the energy planning process that is inclusive and climate-resilient in the entire state of Nagaland.

The platform interconnects energy demand, infrastructure, socio-economic indicators, and climate data, thus enabling the policymakers to pinpoint the areas where the clean energy solutions can have the greatest impact. EAE, which is regarded as the first digital public good dedicated to climate-friendly energy transitions, supplies a data-driven basis for the sustainable development.

Also Read: ArcelorMittal Unveils $900M Green Energy Projects in India

Er. Mhathung Kithan, Senior Project Director of NGISRSC, mentioned that the MoU is an indicator of the next phase in the progression of the partnership with WRI India. He stressed the main aspects of the partnership, which are: openness, joint responsibility, and lasting effect in inclusive energy planning.

Bharath Jairaj, WRI India, the Energy Program's Executive Director, pointed out that the platform has the power to change the policy intention into informed action.

He added that EAE not only makes it possible to extend energy access but at the same time, it is decarbonising the key public infrastructure, mainly in health and education, through decentralised renewable systems, thereby, aligning with Nagaland's priorities and India's national targets of 50% renewable energy by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2070.

The Energy Access Explorer was launched in Nagaland in July 2023 and has since been rolled out to other states like Assam, Jharkhand, and Mizoram. The platform is meant for the use of planners, entrepreneurs, and government agencies, and it is expected to promote the provision of energy solutions equitable, based on data, and sustainable across the region.