India’s Clean Energy Surpasses Fossil Fuels for the First Time
India has reached a major turning point in its energy sector: for the first time in history, the total installed capacity of renewable energy sources has surpassed that of conventional power plants running on coal, gas and oil. According to analysts from Ember and Global Energy Monitor, installed “green” energy capacity has reached 331.7 gigawatts, compared with 302 gigawatts from fossil fuels.
Solar power has been the main driver of this shift. Its capacity has grown from a modest 0.07 gigawatts in 2010 to an impressive 211 gigawatts today. Over the past year, the Indian market added 75 gigawatts of new solar power capacity, while coal-fired capacity increased by only 3.8 gigawatts.
Although coal still accounts for the largest share of actual electricity generation because coal-fired plants operate around the clock, investors and the government are increasingly focusing on clean energy. Over the next decade, solar power could become the country’s main source of electricity. India is therefore already actively developing energy-storage systems and upgrading its power grids.
ORIENT
