Renewable energy

Subject: Environment

Context:

The share of clean energy in India’s total power generation has risen rapidly to 30 per cent already this fiscal compared to 24.9 per cent in FY20.

Concept:

• The share of generation from thermal plants in the country has been coming down and that of non-fossil power (which includes renewables, hydro and nuclear) has been increasing gradually over the last five years due to a major policy thrust on the renewables sector.
• The share of clean energy in overall generation in India increased from 19.6 per cent in 2015-16 to 24.9 per cent in 2019-20, according to official data.

• The growth in share (of green energy) is the result of a gradual increase that has been taking place in the last few years as there has been higher capacity addition in the renewable sector.
• Secondly, the cost of renewable energy has seen a progressive decline over the years.
• The third reason is the ‘must run status’ to procure power from this segment. The ‘must run status’ of renewable and hydro power plants, which mandates uninterrupted power procurement by utilities, has supported the higher generation by these power sources despite the fall in consumption during the lockdown.
• Three States — Karnataka (15,262 MW), Tamil Nadu (14,647 MW) and Gujarat (11,114 MW) — together account for about 46 per cent of India’s installed renewable capacity of 88,793 MW.