By S L Rao The state has no energy policy or a co-ordinated action plan. And there is no system to ensure timely implementation. There has never been a year in the last decade when India did not have a power crisis. This year is worse. Karnataka which was the most progressive, is very short of power today. Nationally it is due to poor implementation by government and the public sector, violation for eight years of transmission policy to allow private entry, confused policies on coal and gas and a lack of understanding that private business will invest only when it can be sure of getting paid for its services. The Centre passively concurred with Power Grid as it prevented private investment in transmission. Coal nationalisation led to inefficient management, non-transparently determined tariffs and a shocking carelessness in estimating reserves, now revised to 25 years. Gas is the only alternative (nuclear power is years away as a big contributor) for base load power. Gas is unaffordable for power generation. Karnataka adopted a tariff policy for power that, unlike Tamil Nadu, never gave it free. Now it is to do so. Karnataka has had practically no investment in generation for almost a decade. None of the past three governments in the state tried for an ultra mega power project, nor lobbied for a branch of the gas pipeline from Kakinada to pass through the state. They also have not tried to get another nuclear power plant for the state. Renewable energy generation is poor. The Krishna government talked but did not privatise distribution; the other governments did not even talk! Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission does not use tariffs for promoting energy efficiency in equipment used and to stimulate energy conservation. The state has no energy policy or a co-ordinated action plan. It has no systems and monitoring to ensure timely and effective implementation of action plans. Nor is there accountability of inefficient and ineffective power bureaucracy. Our standard excuses for power problems have been