The new report on clean energy transition in India titled “Towards a Clean Energy Economy: Post-Covid-19 Opportunities for India’s Energy and Mobility Sectors” brought out jointly by the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog and the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) to support India’s clean energy future. The report has recommended specific actions and laid down four principles as a framework by which India can revive two of our economic powerhouses – the transport and power sectors from the COVID-19 effect that has impacted their demand and supply. The principles are:
- Invest in least-cost-energy solutions
- Support resilient and secure energy systems
- Prioritise efficiency and competitiveness
- Promote social and environmental equity
Transport- Shifting to Clean Passenger and Freight Movement
As per the report, India’s transport sector can save 1.7 gigatonnes (GT) of cumulative carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) and avoid about 600 million tonnes of oil equivalent in fuel demand by 2030 through shared, electric, and connected passenger mobility and cost-effective, clean, and optimised freight transport.
- Opportunities in the transport sector include making public transport safe, enhancing and expanding non-motorised transport infrastructure, reducing vehicle kilometres travelled through work-from-home where possible, supporting national strategies to adopt electric vehicles in the freight and passenger segments, and making India an automotive export hub.
Power- Providing Clean, Affordable, and Reliable Electricity
The government has established a national renewable energy target of 175 GW of solar and wind by 2022 and 500 GW by 2030. In this regard, significant savings in the power sector are required which can be achieved through the adoption of renewable energy, energy storage, efficiency, and flexible generation and demand. Following four key areas identified to enable green recovery in India’s electricity sector:
- Providing immediate liquidity infusion
- Improving business and operations
- Enabling least-cost energy supply
- Preparing for the future.
About RMI India:
RMI India is an independent nonprofit organization that works towards accelerating India’s transition to a clean, prosperous, and inclusive energy future.
Headquarter– New Delhi
About NITI Aayog:
Chairman– Prime Minister of India (Narendra Modi)
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Amitabh Kant
Headquarters– New Delhi
