India’s green transition still runs on coal
The article analyzes India's energy transition, highlighting its continued dependence on coal despite significant growth in renewable energy installed capacity. It points out the disparity between renewable capacity (42.4%) and actual electricity generation (15.8%), with coal still accounting for 71.8% of generation. This reliance on coal and fossil fuel imports, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, exposes India to global energy price shocks, leading to increased electricity tariffs, inflation, and fiscal pressures. The article argues that the transition needs to move beyond capacity addition to system transformation, including investment in storage, grid modernization, and transmission connectivity, to enable renewables to reliably substitute fossil fuels.
The article analyzes India's energy transition, highlighting its continued dependence on coal despite significant growth in renewable energy installed capacity. It points out the disparity between renewable capacity (42.4%) and actual electricity generation (15.8%), with coal still accounting for 71.8% of generation. This reliance on coal and fossil fuel imports, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, exposes India to global energy price shocks, leading to increased electricity tariffs, inflation, and fiscal pressures. The article argues that the transition needs to move beyond capacity addition to system transformation, including investment in storage, grid modernization, and transmission connectivity, to enable renewables to reliably substitute fossil fuels.
Exam linkage
GS Paper 3: Indian Economy (Energy, Infrastructure, Macroeconomic Trends), Environment & Ecology (Renewable Energy, Climate Change implications).
Syllabus mapping
This topic appears in Mains
Questions on Current Affairs come up regularly in GS papers. Practice writing an answer — and see exactly what earns marks.