In Short : Shishir Priyadarshi praised India’s remarkable growth in renewable energy, describing it as phenomenal. He highlighted the country’s commitment to expanding its renewable energy capacity, which is vital for sustainable development and reducing carbon emissions. Priyadarshi noted that this progress positions India as a leader in the global transition to clean energy, contributing significantly to climate goals and energy security.
In Detail : New Delhi, Shishir Priyadarshi, President of Chintan Research Foundation on Tuesday said that India’s growth in renewable energy is quite phenomenal.
Talking to IANS, Shishir Priyadarshi said, “India had phenomenal growth as far as renewable energy is concerned. I will give you just two statistics. In 2013, our total power generation was about 220 to 230 gigawatts (GW), out of which renewable energy was about 30 GW.”
“That means the share of renewables in that was about 12.5 per cent. After ten years in 2023, our total installed capacity has increased exponentially and so has the share of renewables,” he added.
Appreciating India’s contribution to the renewable energy share, Shishir Priyadarshi stated, “I think India has done a phenomenal job in increasing the share of renewable energy in its total installed capacity. India needs to be patted on the back because despite the challenges it has major developmental aspirations and wants to become a developed country by 2047. This will entail a huge amount of additional power but yet we are steadfast in our commitment to greening energy.”
He further asserted that the progress in generating renewable energy was due to private companies and the Indian government.
“See, the progress you are seeing today is all because of the private conglomerates like the Adani Group. They are making a huge contribution to the progress of renewable energy.
“There is a place in Khavda where a solar energy and wind energy park is being set up which is five times the total area of Paris.
“The Indian government is also contributing in the growth of renewable energy as they have come out with great policies and enabled it as well,” he said.
India saw the highest year-on-year growth in renewable energy additions of 9.83 per cent in 2022.
India has set a target to reduce the carbon intensity of the nation’s economy by less than 45 per cent by the end of the decade, achieve 50 per cent cumulative electric power installed by 2030 from renewables, and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2070. India aims for 500 GW of renewable energy installed capacity by 2030.