Half of the electricity to be from renewable sources by 2027

Half of the electricity to be from renewable sources by 2027

Context : 

While India may have committed to the world to have half of its installed electricity come from renewable sources by 2030, a Central Electricity Authority (CEA) estimate of the country’s estimated power consumption released on Wednesday indicates that this objective may be met sooner, by 2026–2027.

Points to Ponder:

  • India’s goal of obtaining half of its installed electricity from renewable sources by 2030 may be accomplished earlier than anticipated, by 2026–2027, according to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) in India.
  • The National Electricity Plan (NEP), a five-year plan by the CEA, evaluates the issues, projected growth, and electricity demands of India.
  • The NEP predicts that the percentage of non-fossil-based capacity will rise to 57.4% by the end of 2026–2027 and may perhaps reach 68.4% by the end of 2031–2022. As of April 2023, this represents a huge increase from the current level of almost 42.5%.
  • It’s vital to remember that generated power is not equivalent to installed capacity. The efficiency of various energy sources varies, and not all sources are always accessible.
  • Solar and wind energy are both renewable energy sources, however, only solar electricity is available during the day.
  • Considering these variables, the NEP predicts that by 2026–2027 and 203–31, respectively, the share of electricity produced by renewable sources will be around 35.04% and 43.96%.
  • The NEP’s goals have been labelled as ambitious but doable by outside experts.
  • The recent declaration by the Indian government that it will install 50 GW of renewable energy capacity annually reinforces the viability of meeting the renewable energy targets.