Managing Groundwater Energy Nexus in India: The Curious Case of Using Solar Irrigation Pumps with Drip Systems

While groundwater and energy use in irrigated agriculture has gone up exponentially during the past 2-3 decades, pervasive energy subsidies combined with lack of regulation of groundwater withdrawal is resulting in both groundwater over-exploitation and inefficient and wasteful use of energy. Of late, options such as the use of solar irrigation pumps in conjunction with drip systems are being suggested to address the groundwater energy nexus conundrum. The idea being proposed is that farmers could produce electricity using solar PV systems, use it for pumping groundwater and sell the excess electricity to the grid, using ‘net metering’, thereby creating incentive for efficient use of energy and groundwater, while reducing the power subsidy burden on the utilities. Empirical analysis explores whether solar pumps are technically feasible and also whether they are economically viable under the existing energy and water pricing policies. It also examines the degree of incentive farmers would have to make best use of drip systems for improving water use efficiency, while using solar energy to run their pumps.