Institutionalise a least cost integrated resource planning framework at the state level, thereby integrating renewables into the mainstream of power system planning. Two, integrate renewables into state-level planning and procurement. A battery storage trajectory of about 50 GWh by 2025 and 250 GWh by 2030 could provide a strong signal to industry for deployment as well as domestic manufacturing. Based on the 2030 India Report, a mix of about 300 GW solar and 140 GW installed wind capacity is recommended.

This mobilises the government machinery to work towards it. The central government should enshrine this target in policymaking by adopting inward-facing “mission” capacity targets for the solar and wind mission.

One, adopt a 500 GW non-fossil capacity target along with a battery mandate. Therefore, five key policy and regulatory measures are needed to address these challenges. Depth in power markets will be crucial, and so will grid flexibility close to real-time. Accelerating the pace and scale of renewable energy deployment will require large volumes of affordable debt to be mobilised. Given the trade deficit with China and energy security concerns, the bulk of plant components must be domestically manufactured. Without large-scale deployment of battery storage, more coal capacity would be needed to meet peak load, which would run at low capacity factors, increasing the risk of stranded assets. Second, grid-scale battery storage would be key to utilising RE generation for meeting demand during peak hours. Policy measures that integrate renewables into the core of power system planning and operations are the need of the hour. However, as India ramps up its renewable ambition, a new set of policies will be required to propel deployment to the next orbit. This rapid pace of installation has been enabled by a bouquet of central and state-level policies and regulations, including national solar and wind mission targets (175 GW of RE by 2022), Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) at the state level, solar parks to facilitate land acquisition and grid connectivity, bulk procurement and payment guarantees via the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to reduce offtake risk, waiver of inter-state transmission charges, competitive bidding resulting in low prices and must-run status. Another 55 GW of solar, wind and hybrid capacity is in the pipeline. As of January 2022, India installed 105 GW of renewable capacity, of which solar and wind power added up to 90 GW.

Freeciv 500 by 250 map