TN Power Crisis: Its Time to Go Solar

How can the economy grow and the state and national GDP develop in a power crisis?
Today's front page and city and state pages of my daily newspaper was filled with news of the power crisis in Tamil Nadu. It may not seem like news to outsiders when power cuts are more frequent here than most other Indian states. Its a miracle the news wasn't on the financial pages yet but if load-shedding happens then its only a matter of time.

Power cuts may not be as frequent as they were in Chennai six months back but the increased tariffs and the proposals to limit power to industries will hurt MSEs more than the larger players, who themselves will feel quite a punch.

The all-powerful TNEB's power crises could send the Tamil Nadu economy down the drain.

A situation already in the works if the Central Statistics Office figures are to be believed. Bihar that appears in international lists of poverty-stricken places seems to have the fastest growth while TN - where ground realities look better than the much touted Gujarat Model has the slowest GDP  growth.

 The answer to the power crises may lie in the ultimate source of energy. The sun.
It may seem an obvious solution in sunny India but despite the JNNSM being announced five years ago state implementation has been poor.
If Indian space research can take us to the surface of Mars then definitely with political will and policy impetus Indian scientists and the solar business community can make solar energy the obvious and affordable alternative to a iffy grid!

Check out these solutions:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/chen-infra/worried-about-spike-in-power-bills-go-solar/article6439354.ece
http://www.regenpowertech.com/96/solar-inverter

The Village Cluster Development Model

Some points I agree with some points I don't but overall this is a good way forward: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/developing-model-village-clusters/article6420016.ece

This statement I'm uncomfortable with:

"It should be clearly understood that it is an iron law of economics (without a single exception) that as countries get richer, the share of agriculture in GDP, employment and land use declines over time. If India aims at achieving affluence over the coming decades, it must be prepared for massive urbanisation. "

... but its a statement that gets repeated by most economists - can't there be development without urbanization. With the connectivity we have today and return to the land movements happening can't one envisage a developed world without overburdened cities and urban population clusters?
Any thoughts?
Compare and contrast with the article mentioned yesterday: 

Polak, Paul “How to Solve India's Poverty Crisis”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-polak/how-to-solve-indias-pover_b_4086236.html

 

And his recommendations to combat poverty in India and the world and find opportunities in the problems of extreme (rural and urban but esp. the former) poverty:

• a billion poor farmers around the world lack access to affordable income-generating tools & insurance to face financial challenges.
• one billion people in the world go hungry on any given night, and an equal number lack access to affordable nutritious foods 
• billion people live in rudimentary shelters ...ready market for $100 to $300 houses with market and collateral value that could start them on the road to the middle class
• one billion people have neither latrines nor toilets. 
• one billion people have no access to electricity.
• One billion or more don't have access to decent, affordable schools.
• one billion people lack affordable and professional health services. 
• one billion use cooking and heating methods that make them sick and pollute the air.