Indian PM Modi to reveal Asia’s biggest solar energy plant
Indian PM Narendra Modi will today inaugurate a 750-megavolt (MV) solar power plant in Madhya Pradesh via videoconference.
The PM’s appearance underscores the Indian government’s pursuit of 175-gigawatt (GW) capacity in renewable energy by 2022 and 450 GW by 2030. Despite the recent global drop in solar panel prices, the economic fallout of COVID-19 has blown renewables progress way off course, making India less likely to attain its goals within the original time frame. The availability of energy storage technology, upon which the future of the domestic renewables sector depends, may pose a significant obstacle and prolong Indian dependence on fossil fuels.
With demand for energy certain to skyrocket in the coming decades, expect the government’s interest in nuclear power—a comparatively reliable energy source—to grow. Although the industry is hampered by liability laws, reduced access to uranium and restrictions on foreign technology imports, the government has pledged to boost reactor development over the next decade. However, further progress is unlikely without a concerted legislative effort to solidify an integrated green energy policy.
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