India Aims to Triple Clean Energy Capacity to 900 Gigawatts by 2035, Faces Grid Challenges
India has announced an ambitious goal to increase its clean energy capacity to 900 gigawatts by 2035, a significant jump from its current target of 500 gigawatts by 2030. This new target encompasses non-fossil power sources such as solar, wind, hydropower, and nuclear energy. The country has also approved nearly $20 billion in funding for power grid upgrades and battery storage under its Green Energy Corridor plan to address existing bottlenecks. Despite being among the fastest nations to expand clean power, India faces substantial challenges, particularly with its transmission infrastructure. Over the past 16 months, the grid's inability to accommodate renewable energy led to the curtailment of solar generation sufficient to power approximately 10 million homes. Experts, including Nikit Abhyankar from the India Energy and Climate Center at the University of California, Berkeley, emphasize that a robust and innovative transmission grid is crucial for India to meet its clean energy objectives.
