Renewable Energy Policy

India's rapid renewable energy expansion is exposing grid and transmission constraints, with experts warning that system resilience and infrastructure upgrades are critical to sustain growth

Nearly 11,000 consumers in western Odisha reported "zero electricity bills" in March 2026 after adopting rooftop solar systems under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, officials said. As many as 10,885 households achieved zero bills during the month, driven by installations carried out through TP Western Odisha Distribution Ltd's (TPWODL) 1-kW Utility Led Aggregation (ULA) model, which has accelerated solar adoption in the region. According to a company statement, 18,830 consumers had installed rooftop solar systems in western Odisha as of March 2026, indicating a growing shift towards sustainable and self-reliant energy consumption. The figures showed that around 60 per cent of consumers with rooftop solar installations are now receiving zero electricity bills, while the remaining 40 per cent have reduced their monthly bills by over 80 per cent. In March alone, 1,428 consumers recorded zero bills under the model, underscoring the direct financial benefits of decentralised solar

The massive bets by the world's two most populous nations come at the same time that the West has quietly backed away from its ambitious green hydrogen goals from the start of this decade

India is poised to become the World's second-largest solar market in 2026 in terms of annual installation, the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) said on Wednesday. India has achieved its fastest-ever addition of 50 GW of solar capacity in just 14 months, reaching the landmark 150 GW milestone, according to an NSEFI statement. This marks a significant acceleration compared to the 11 years it took to reach the first 50 GW, followed by nearly three years to scale up to 100 GW. NSEFI CEO Subrahmanyam Pulipaka said that solar energy is projected to reach 280300 GW to support India's 500 GW non-fossil capacity target by 2030. With the current pace, India is nearing an annual addition trajectory of 50 GW, firmly aligning with this goal. In fact, the country is witnessing strong potential for solar capacity to exceed these projections, driven by initiatives such as PM Surya Ghar, the upcoming PM KUSUM 2.0, dedicated floating solar policies, and the growing demand linked to

The move comes at a time when the world's second largest user of coal is curbing solar output for lack of dedicated transmission lines

Solar equipment manufacturers have not received any funds under the Rs 24,000-crore production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for them till February-end, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, is implementing the PLI Scheme for High Efficiency solar PV modules with an outlay of Rs 24,000 crore. Under the scheme, letters of award have been issued for setting up 48,337 MW of fully/partially integrated solar PV module manufacturing capacity, Union Minister for New & Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The minister said as on February 28, 2026, no funds have been released under the scheme, as it provides for the release of PLI to successful bidders a year after commissioning of the manufacturing projects awarded under the scheme. Until now, this one-year post-commissioning period has not been completed in respect of the projects awarded under the scheme, he stated. Under the

Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds and state-backed companies are unlikely to scale back renewable energy investments in Africa despite disruptions from the Iran war, analysts say, given the strong long-term economic and strategic reasons driving such funding. Investors made wealthy by the Gulf region's abundant oil and gas increasingly are turning to Africa's clean energy sector, attracted by rising electricity demand, rapid urbanization and the continent's growing role in global supply chains tied to critical minerals and manufacturing. A report released last month by the Clean Air Task Force found that more than $101.9 billion had flowed into Africa's renewable energy sector from Gulf countries by end of 2024, led by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Much of the investment has been concentrated in North Africa, Southern Africa and parts of East Africa, while West Africa has attracted relatively limited funding. "Africa remains one of the few ..

Rising renewable energy capacity is straining India's grid, forcing curtailments and raising concerns over stability

Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla said sustainable practices adopted in space offer lessons for North Eastern states like Meghalaya, expanding renewable energy in remote areas. Speaking at the 23rd National Space Science Symposium hosted by North East Space Application Centre (NESAC) at Umiam near here on Thursday, Shukla, the second Indian astronaut, stressed that life aboard the International Space Station depends almost entirely on solar power. "Astronauts reuse critical resources in an extremely limited environment. That discipline shows sustainable practices are attainable and practical for us as well," Shukla, the first Indian to visit the International Space Station in 2025, told students and researchers during an interaction session on Thursday. He commended Meghalaya's efforts to promote clean energy in rural and remote regions where conventional electricity supply remains a challenge. At the symposium, Meghalaya New and Renewable Energy Development Agency .

At Business Standard's Manthan Summit, ReNew Chairman and CEO Sumant Sinha said countries like India, which are driving electrification, hold a technological edge over nations pushing for fossil fuels

The renewable energy industry has sought incentives for research and development as well as for the manufacturing of ingots and wafers in the FY27 Union budget, as the sector looks to transition from capacity additions to execution certainty. The industry has also asked for measures to ramp up transmission infrastructure and long-term green finance. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to table the Union Budget for the financial year 2026-27 in Parliament on February 1. Industry stakeholders said sustained growth in renewables would depend on policy clarity, financially sound utilities and bankable power purchase agreements, along with targeted interventions to support distributed solar, storage-linked solutions and hybrid systems. Jakson Group Chairman Sameer Gupta said the FY27 budget offers an opportunity to shift the focus from headline capacity announcements to ensuring execution across the renewable energy ecosystem. A clear policy push towards distributed energy

The draft framework aims to gradually narrow the permissible gap between the amount of electricity producers commit to supply and what they actually generate and was due to come into effect from April

A World Economic Forum report says India will lead global growth in renewable capacity and generation through 2030, driven by higher clean-energy investment and policy support such as PLI schemes

At the middle of this optimism is RIL's first battery Giga factory in Jamnagar, slated to start operations in early calendar year 2026 (CY26) with a production capacity of 40GWh per year.

The case underscores growing concerns over grid security as India accelerates renewable capacity additions to meet its 2030 clean energy targets

India is likely to miss the target of achieving 5 million metric tonnes (MMT) of annual green hydrogen production capacity by 2030 due to global uncertainties, a senior government official said on Tuesday. Under the National Green Hydrogen Mission launched in 2023, the government has set a target of 5 MMT of annual production capacity of green hydrogen by 2030. "We may slip on the target (of annual production capacity of green hydrogen of 5 MMT by 2030)," Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, said at the 3rd International Green Hydrogen Conference here. The country is expected to achieve 5 MMT annual green hydrogen production capacity by 2032, he said, flagging global uncertainties. He further said that India may achieve 3 MMT of annual green hydrogen production capacity by 2030. About the yearly requirement of adding 50 GW of renewable energy capacity to achieve the 500 GW target by 2030, Sarangi said India will focus on the 40 GW of capacity alr

India has no offshore wind capacity but is on track to commission record 6 Gw of onshore wind capacity in FY26, says Joshi

As of September-end, the Renewable Energy Implementing Agencies (REIAs) have issued Letters of Award (LoAs) for 43,942 megawatt capacity where PSAs with end procurers remain unsigned

Brookfield is one of the world's largest investors in renewable power, with about 46 GW of installed capacity and a development pipeline of approximately 200 GW

The solar project has reached a ready-to-build status, and construction will begin shortly. It is expected to start operations in December 2026