India's Energy Transition: Ambition, Reality, and Complexity

1. India's Clean Energy Ambition

• Target: 500 GW of non-fossil energy capacity by 2030
• Includes: Solar, wind, hydro, nuclear, biomass
• Significance:
  • Global climate leadership
  • Commitment to development goals
  • Energy security

2. Reality Check: Progress vs. Targets

Energy Source	Target (GW)	Commissioned (as of 2023)
Solar	293	~180 GW (total non-fossil)
Wind	134	~180 GW (total non-fossil)
Large Hydro	73	~180 GW (total non-fossil)

• Key Issue: Mismatch between installed capacity and actual generation
• Coal still dominates power generation despite growth in renewables.
• Delays: 34.5+ GW of announced projects remain unbuilt; timelines slipping since 2017–18.

3. Five Major Challenges in India’s Energy Transition

1. Financial Stress of DISCOMs

• Distribution companies face losses → reluctant to buy variable renewable energy
• Concerns about cost volatility and grid imbalance

2. Inadequate Storage & Round-the-Clock (RTC) Solutions

• Solar power generated during day; peak demand in evening
• Lack of affordable storage limits RTC renewable supply

3. Uncertain Policy Signals & Delays

• Changing tender norms
• Slow approvals
• Lack of central–state alignment

4. Land and Community Opposition

• Large solar/wind parks face:
  • Land acquisition conflicts
  • Ecological concerns

5. Underutilized Government Schemes

• Examples:
  • PM Surya Ghar
  • PM KUSUM
  • PLI for solar manufacturing
• Uptake is uneven, often urban/elite-centric

4. Key Learnings About Transitions

• Transitions are not held back by lack of ambition or innovation
• Challenges lie in aligning multiple systems:
  • Policy
  • Infrastructure
  • Finance
  • State capacity
  • User trust
• Energy transitions involve rebuilding supply, pricing, delivery, and risk systems

5. Pathway Plurality and Just Transitions

• No single path to sustainability → hence “transitions” (plural)
• Transitions are:
  • Context-specific
  • Non-linear
  • Shaped by diverse visions of sustainability
• Justice and inclusion are critical:
  • Who is included?
  • Who sets the direction?
  • Who bears the cost?
  • Who reaps benefits?

Examples of Exclusion:

• Rooftop solar may bypass tenants
• Induction cooktops may not reach low-income groups
• E-buses may not serve rural areas
• Agroecology may exclude marginal farmers

6. What Transitions Teach Us

• Transitions are:
  • Long-term, non-linear, multi-dimensional
  • Shaped by networks, experiments, politics—not just planning
  • Require inclusive, reflexive, context-sensitive governance
• Everyone has a role:
  • Students, citizens, entrepreneurs, researchers
  • Support local projects, document practices, question greenwashing, collaborate

7. Reflection Exercise

Think of a local sustainability challenge (e.g., air pollution, waste, mobility, water):

• Identify signs of transition
• Map actors involved
• Identify what is changing vs. what is resisting
• Reflect on who is resisting and why

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📘 Exam Tip:

Focus on understanding the gap between ambition and reality in India’s energy transition. Be prepared to explain the five key challenges (financial, storage, policy, land, scheme uptake) and emphasize that transitions are multi-systemic, not just technological. Use examples to illustrate justice and inclusion issues, and remember that governance must be adaptive, inclusive, and context-sensitive.