AbstractUntil recently it was thought natural for energy sources to develop from the individual gathering fuel to a centralised system for the generation of electricity. Since the oil crisis this has changed and India has investigated the use of alternative renewable energy sources which, by their very nature, are more localised. The widespread effort is, however, coordinated nationally and has considerable financial resources available. Described here is the Indian experience with such resources as biogas, bio mass, energy forests and solar energy.