Clean Energy Future
India was the target of some of US president Donald Trump’s ire as he announced his country’s exit from the Paris Agreement early in June. The US, Trump insisted, was at a disadvantage because developing countries such as India are able to increase coal production. In fact, India has received much international credit for its embrace of renewable energy sources, including most recently in the comprehensive Renewables Global Status Report, released on June 7 and produced by a wellregarded international NGO. Despite impressive progress, India is behind on its ambitious targets though the government insists it is still on course to “lead the world towards clean energy rather than follow”.
`65,000 CRORE
OR AROUND $10 BILLION, INDIA’S INVESTMENT IN RENEWABLE ENERGY INSTALLATIONS IN 2016
5%
OR 94 GIGAWATTS (GW) OF THE WORLD’S RENEWABLE ENERGY CAPACITY ACCOUNTED FOR BY INDIA IN 2016. CHINA ACCOUNTED FOR 28%
175 GW
OF ENERGY TO BE PROVIDED BY RENEWABLE SOURCES IN 2022. UP FROM 43 GW IN 2016
100 GW
OF SOLAR POWERED ENERGY, TARGET INDIA HAS SET ITSELF TO REACH BY 2022; 60 GW FROM WIND
40%
OF INDIA’S POWER NEEDS TO BE MET BY RENEWABLE SOURCES BY 2030. CURRENTLY 7.5% OF ENERGY IS RENEWABLE, ACCORDING TO A RAJYA SABHA REPORT
620,000
PEOPLE EMPLOYED IN INDIA’S RENEWABLE ENERGIES INDUSTRY, FOURTH LARGEST BEHIND NEARLY 4 MILLION IN CHINA, OVER 1 MILLION IN BRAZIL, AND 800,000 IN US
`2.6
COST PER KILOWATT-HOUR OF ELECTRICITY GENERATED BY SOLAR PANELS, CLAIM TWO POWER COMPANIES. SLIGHTLY CHEAPER THAN COAL-GENERATED ELECTRICITY