Limited Demand or Unreliable Supply? A Bibliometric Review and Computational Text Analysis of Research on Energy Policy in India

Although India has made significant progress towards the sustainable development goal on energy (SDG 7), further policy innovations are essential for closing the gap, addressing geographic disparities, and harnessing energy for transformative change. Research can support this process by creating policy-relevant knowledge regarding the energy transition, but there is no systematic account of the literature pertaining to energy policy in India to map the research area and suggest key avenues for future research. In this study, I conduct a bibliometric review and computational text analysis of over 2700 publications to identify the key themes, geographies, and public policy concepts (not) examined in the research on energy policy in India. I find that: (i) the literature is dominated by topics in energy supply and less attention is paid to demand-side management, energy efficiency, and electricity distribution; (ii) existing studies have hardly examined subnational policy (-making), especially in the case of eastern and north-eastern India; and (iii) research on both analysis for policy and analysis of policy is limited. I conclude that the current foci lack the breadth and depth necessary for supporting the Indian energy transition and urge scholars to diversify the thematic, geographic, and conceptual engagement in future research.

Economic and environmental assessment of an unreliable supply chain management

The retailers within a supply chain management are the most important player as it has direct contact with the customers. Customers are the source of the money and information for the entire supply chain management. The equilibrium condition of the forward and backward supply chain is tight until it is reliable. But sometimes the retailers hide information from the manufacturer and this unreliability starts to propagate to the entire supply chain management. Blockchain technology is one of the secure decentralized systems to prevent unreliability. This study eliminates the unreliability of the system. A mathematical model is derived where the vendor-managed inventory policy is used by the single manufacturer to deal with multiple unreliable retailers. The entire process of manufacturing emits carbon. The carbon emission is controlled by the cap and trade policy and by paying the carbon tax. The results are found by the classical optimization technique and the numerical studies open up a way to the blockchain to deal with unreliable retailers. The decentralized system is a probable choice to prevent unreliability and thus the blockchain.

Footbridge for the School of El Yomo in El Salvador

<p>The El Salvador Project is a student-led initiative born in 2001 at Imperial College London that provides simple and effective engineering solutions to rural communities in El Salvador. The projects are developed in close collaboration with the Salvadorian NGO REDES and the UK-based charity Engage for Development. This paper presents the work developed over the summer 2019, when a footbridge was constructed for the School of the community of El Yomo, in the town of Alegría. The footbridge was intended to restore the path connecting the main settlement with the local school, which heavy rainfall had eroded in the previous years forming an impassable ravine. The footbridge was designed as a 15 m long steel truss beam supported on masonry walls. The construction was a collective effort. The main challenges faced during construction were the unexpected conditions of the site, the unreliable supply of materials and the lack of means for excavation, lifting and auxiliary constructions. The success of the project relied considerably on the knowledge of the local workers. The involvement of the community helped develop a feeling of ownership over the project which has resulted in a strong commitment in its maintenance since the opening. The footbridge was enthusiastically inaugurated by the community and has provided the children of El Yomo with a safer and faster route to their school, based on a comprehensive risk management approach.</p>

Beyond fresh and direct: exploring the specialty food industry as a market outlet for small- and medium-sized farms

As small- and medium-sized farms struggle to remain viable in a competitive global economy, the expanding specialty food industry provides a potential marketing opportunity. These farms raise many of the farm products that can become the key ingredients in value-added foods. Little research exists about processed specialty foods made from locally/regionally sourced ingredients produced by small- and medium-sized farms. This study investigates the benefits, barriers and challenges for small- and medium-sized farmers who want to sell products to specialty food manufacturers (SFMs). This paper analyzes 240 survey responses from dairy, meat, fruit/vegetable/nuts and grain specialty manufacturers and 60 in-depth interviews of these manufacturers and farmers in California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Washington and Oregon. We found that almost half of the manufacturers surveyed source primary ingredients directly from farms or from their own farm. More than half of the farms that supply these key ingredients are small or medium-sized, indicating that many farms in this category are already successfully supplying SFMs with key ingredients. The key benefits manufacturers receive from working with these farms included quality assurance, trust, and traceability. Key obstacles to such farmer/manufacturer transactions are: cost, inability to meet volume requirements, unreliable supply and lack of year-round supply. The nature of relationships between manufacturers and farmers emerged as a theme that influences the success of small- and medium-sized farms as ingredient suppliers. Whether they were large or small, most manufacturers purchased their key ingredients from multiple suppliers in order to reduce their risk. Overall, we find evidence that the specialty food industry is an emerging market channel for small- and medium-sized farms. We also find that to be successful suppliers of SFMs, farmers need to have processes in place to ensure the quality of their products; provide the specific attributes the manufacturer requires for its ingredients and be willing to communicate frequently with the manufacturer.

Risk Inherent in Matching Unreliability With Uncertainty

Solar and wind are unreliable sources of energy. Several years ago, there was an eclipse over Europe during calm weather reducing renewable (wind and solar) power to nil – without 100% backup, the lights would have gone out. Electricity demand is uncertain, but its uncertainty can be bracketed within known parameters based on an analysis of past demand. Meeting uncertain demand with reliable supply (fossil fuel, nuclear, hydro except in dry seasons) is the normal course of business for an operating utility. Matching up unreliable supply with uncertain demand is a newly emerging trend with the advent of renewables. At first, when solar and wind made minute contributions to satisfying electricity demand, the challenge was manageable. The challenge is becoming more prominent with the growth in the contribution of solar and wind to electricity supply. This chapter describes the risk of matching unreliability with uncertainty via a simulation of a utility with a notable commitment to renewables. Upon measuring risk, means to mitigate that risk will be covered.

Optimizing Flu Vaccine Planning at NorthShore University HealthSystem

Stan Kent, vice president of pharmacy at NorthShore University HealthSystem, is faced with the challenge of seasonal planning for the influenza vaccine. The supply received by the multilocation healthcare system is unreliable in terms of timing and quantity. As part of improved planning, Kent is contemplating a new contract with NorthShore's major supplier of flu vaccines. The options under consideration include fixing either the date of delivery or the quantity delivered. The main decision involved in either option would be how much vaccine to order. The case also provides details about the seasonal influenza epidemic in the United States, illustrates operational complexities of the U.S. flu vaccine supply chain, and provides a brief description of the various channels used to distribute flu vaccine to end consumers.The main objective of the case is to illustrate supply chain decision making when there is an unreliable supply (in contrast to the usual case of uncertain demand). A secondary objective is to make students think about appropriate internal (within sector) and external (other sectors) benchmarks to evaluate the performance of a health commodity supply chain.