Universalization of access to modern energy services in Tibetan rural households-Renewable energy's exploitation, utilization, and policy analysis

There are still more than 30% of the Tibetan administrative villages without power, and about 40% farmers there are suffering from a serious shortage of firewood. Tibet is abundant in the deposits of hydropower, geothermal, and solar energy. The practical ways to solve the universal service of Tibetan rural energy are researched in the paper. We find that there are two main objectives of the universal access to energy in Tibetan rural areas. One is to meet the demand of electricity consumption and daily energy consumption of the farmers and herdsmen without power, initially solve energy poverty, realize the equitable access to energy, and ensure the early access to modern civilization. The other is to guarantee the provision of energy required in Tibet's rural economic development and urbanization. Their accomplishment depends on the responsibilities' definition and implementation in the universal service of energy by the central and local governments, and on the establishment of a universal service mechanism of energy. The conflict between the need of energy development in the agricultural and pastoral areas of Tibet and its insufficient financial resources cannot be solved without the support and assistance from the central government and other developed provinces in China. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.