A major part of India's energy transition would come from the power sector but for the broader goal of decarbonization, energy-intensive industries need to plan a green future. The steel industry which forms the backbone of the country's infrastructure growth is the foremost industry to plan a transition. The sector which relies on metal mining, drives bulk electricity demand and employment generation across its supply chain. This makes it imperative for it to lead to industrial...

India has set a net zero target by 2070. If this target is to be achieved, India will have to reduce its reliance on coal. However, decreasing coal production and use is complex as it will impact millions of workers, communities and coal-dependent states. In order to mitigate the impact on workers and communities in coal-dependent states, the states will have to enable a just energy transition and the planning will need to start from now. Jharkhand, India’s most coal-dependent state has...

India's energy transition stands at the crossroads of meeting the nation's rising energy demand and pressure at the global front to reduce emissions. Having now committed to a low carbon development plan and a net zero target year, all eyes are on India to declare the expiry date of coal. To get a ringside understanding of this complex issue, we invited Dr. Anil Kumar Jain. He has held senior positions at key ministries of petroleum, environment, NITI Aayog, and the erstwhile Planning...

The upcoming COP27 is expected to set the tone for developing economies to strengthen their climate-focused demands from the developed world. Adaptation solutions, loss and damage funds, and enhanced climate financing are likely to be the focus areas. Though the shadow of the Russia-Ukraine war and impending recession might impact negotiations, it is no doubt that climate-related challenges faced by the African nations will be under the spotlight. To discuss the issues and challenges faced...

For any meaningful climate action in India, the 28 Indian states and 8 union territories will have to play a crucial role. They have to maintain nodes of implementation of climate plans. But are the states ready to embrace the national and international ambitions of climate action? Could pushing central targets lead to more tussle between centre and states? Would states have the governance structures and stakeholder capacity for transforming their energy economies? To understand the role of...

If India wants to achieve its net zero goal by 2070, energy storage technologies will have to play a crucial role. From battery to pump storage, several different technologies are now commercially available in 5 countries and several others are at the R&D stage. They would all need to be deployed at a scale several magnitudes higher than today as India embarks on the path of the energy transition. And this would require policy push, financial backing and reconciling with socio-economic...

As COP27 inches closer, the promises and commitments made during the last global climate conference are under scrutiny. India which was the biggest surprise, thanks to its Net Zero target year announcement has been under the scanner for laying out its climate plans. The Union Cabinet recently approved India's Nationally Determined Contributions which though exhaustive, is still falling short on several fronts - major being climate adaptation. While mitigation measures are being given due...

Talking about climate change, especially in the developing world, is no longer a topic of so-called "academic interest". There are now multitudes of issues involved, countless lobbies on both sides of the debate and largely uninformed public. Climate communication in such a scenario becomes pertinent and as important as the climate issues themselves. But climate comms, especially in the West have been long alleged for whitewashing facts and greenwashing any and every step that the Global...

India recently enforced a ban on single-use plastic items across the country. This move will have a ripple effect across several industries, including FMCG. Experts, however, view this as a bold step towards waste management in the country. Of this, an impeding concern is over renewable energy waste. Solar wastes are generated by discarded solar panels. India is planning to meet its 500 GW target of renewable energy by 2030. Estimates reveal solar industry alone could generate over 34,600...

India's renewable energy sector is facing an unusual dilemma - on one side are the ambitious targets set out by the government and on the other are problems and issues that come with rampant growth and increase in size of the industry. One such issue is the GIB or Great Indian Bustard case in Rajasthan and Gujarat where 20 GW of solar and wind power projects face an uncertain future. Planned in the breeding areas of GIB, an endangered bird, green energy and ecology are in direct...

As it has been happening for years now, coal and power crisis has gripped India yet again. Severe heatwaves caused due to climate crisis coupled with mismatch in coal demand and supply, led to a nationwide power crisis. Electricity distribution utilities are resorting to power cuts, Centre is pushing imported coal and ministries of coal and railways are at loggerheads. To guide us through this maze of crisis, our host Dr. Sandeep Pai spoke with two journalists with their ears on the ground....

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) working group III recently released a report on climate change mitigation. It assessed methods for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and provided many policy solutions for how countries can contain the climate crisis. To understand what this new IPCC report says, we interviewed Professor Navroz Dubash of the Center for Policy Research and Professor Harald Winkler of the University of Cape Town. Both Navroz and Harald are contributing lead...

Increased heat, drought and wildfires are all linked to climate change. Climate change has altered the physical geography in rural areas by disappearing flora and fauna, and other natural habitats that constitute the livelihood of the local people. In order to understand the ground reality of climate impact in rural areas, we spoke with M Raghuram, Senior Journalist from Karnataka; Shuchita Jha, Journalist at Down To Earth, India; and Tazeen Qureshy, Independent Journalist based in...

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report recently that made global headlines. A fact from the report came out as a dire warning - over 40% of the world's population is "highly vulnerable" to climate change. However, there is much more in this report, which was authored by 270 researchers from 67 countries. The report explains the global and regional impacts of climate change, evaluates the adaptation efforts and explains the vulnerabilities faced by humans with...

Since 2003 when the electricity market in India opened up to private investment, variety of market mechanisms also came up along with it. Long term power purchase agreements have been backbone of power supply in the country. But other short and medium terms contracts have helped meeting sudden demand surge, acted as bridge supply and lately given sale options for renewable energy. Similar contracts have now emerged in the Gas market as well. To understand how the Indian energy trading market...

In the last few years, India electrified nearly all its households by extending the  national grid. Yet, reliability of available power is still a major concern. Some rural and remote areas still face power cuts of nearly 10-12 hours a day. Lack of reliable power prevents local economic development as factories and shops cannot function efficiently. Domestic expense also increases as households rely on expensive alternatives such as diesel run generators. While the centralised power grid...

The power transmission network is the backbone of any nation's electricity grid. India needs to rapidly expand and overhaul its electricity grid network to undertake a successful energy transition and ensure reliable power to all. While state-owned Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) has led the growth of power transmission in India, a handful of private companies entered the fray in the last decade. But the expansion of India's power transmission network for growing renewable energy...

In the history of the global climate change conferences, it was in the recent COP26 that for the first time there was a separate Water pavilion. Water economy management has faced negligence on the climate discussion table till yet but it is time that water is given the centerstage. Water forms the key bridge in the energy-food supply chain. Water resource management will be crucial to the energy transition planning of India – where till two years back, there was no separate department to...

CoP26 concluded on November 13 with the Glasgow Climate Pact, signed by leaders from nearly 200 countries. The pact aims to limit global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Throughout the two weeks of the conference there were numerous pledges and declarations. Many experts have hailed the Glasgow Climate Pact and the various climate pledges as a success, while others are not satisfied with these agreements. To understand the nuances of what unfolded at CoP26, Sandeep interviewed...

COP26, the world’s biggest climate change conference, is now only a week away. After traversing through the history and functioning of climate negotiations in the first part of our COP special series, in this second part, we delve into key negotiation points at COP26, India’s role in the current negotiations, and what could be the bottlenecks and common grounds between developed and developing world. For this episode, we interviewed RR Rashmi, Distinguished Fellow and Programme Director,...

COP26, which is the world’s biggest climate change conference, is only two weeks away. Policymakers from over 200 countries will gather at Glasgow to discuss how to move forward with a more ambitious climate agenda. We at the India Energy Hour are really excited to publish two episodes focusing on COP26. We have interviewed two eminent guests who know the ins and outs of COP meetings. This is the first of two episodes. As we look ahead to COP26, we need to look back at the past climate...

As India goes into the festive season with a rebound in the economy post Covid second wave, the country is facing a power crisis with over 80% of thermal power plants in the country facing a coal shortage. Many states have warned their customers of power shortage and there is considerable panic anticipating these power cuts. But how did the crisis start, who is responsible for it but more importantly, how should the countries’ planners resolve the issue and avoid a repeat? To understand...

There is a sudden upsurge of green sector financing in the world - from direct climate financing, ESG goals, to green bonds. India, one of the fastest growing energy markets with ambitious renewable energy plans is looking at these modes to fuel its green targets. How successful though we have been? And as the country and key investors in the green energy space look outward, does India have a robust domestic financing model or agencies to support its green dreams? In this episode, we...

India’s electricity sector is facing two major challenges - low electricity demand and massive overcapacity. On one hand, renewable energy installations are on the rise in the country but it is often curtailed. While 100 GW of solar and wind power have already been installed, 50 GW is under installation and 27 GW is under tendering. On the other hand, India is not cutting down its coal-based power generation but their viability remains under cloud as new efficiency standards kick in. Can...

Farming communities, forest dwellers, tribals with their rivers, mountains and other natural bounties are in the first line of impact from climate change. The worst part is that the most vulnerable are also the least privileged to save themselves from such havoc. The Indian government has put a strong voice on the global stage of climate discourse but are the climate policies covering the most remotely located climate change affected population? To understand the impact of climate change on...