Clean Power

Energy in the form of electricity fuels economic growth. India has a 1.3 billion strong population. This coupled with an increased push for indigenous development means that India’s power demand is set to rise manifold over the coming decades. Projections forecast a rise in demand from approximately 949 terawatt-hours in 2015 to between 2074 terawatt-hours to 2785 terawatt-hours by 2030.

India’s demand for power comes from diverse sectors including industries, residential and commercial buildings, agriculture, rural and urban infrastructure, transport, among others. But it is important that the demand for electricity not be looked upon in isolation. The energy sector accounts for the highest carbon emissions in India. We must meet the rising demand with clean sources of power in order to promote energy security and climate stability.

The opportunity to meet India’s power demands with cleaner energy options has never been brighter. India’s target of achieving 175GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022 and 430GW by 2030, backed by policy and regulatory pushes, has put India among the top countries for its renewable energy efforts . The Saubhagya scheme has succeeded in connecting almost all Indian households to the electricity grid . The Indian government is committed to achieving the Nationally Determined Contributions as part of the Paris Climate Agreement as well as ensuring year-round energy access to all its citizens.

The challenge today is to ensure that every person has access to clean and reliable power. This includes working with diverse stakeholders such as distribution utility companies, power generation companies, industrial and agricultural players, urban and rural consumers, and policymakers to ensure a clean and equitable power supply system for all.

Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation’s work in the power sector supports the development of policies that help integrate a greater capacity of renewable energy in India’s power mix, enhance the state of play of the distribution sector, and ensure that all households in the country are provided with reliable electricity round the clock.