Karnataka tops power guzzling states in renewable energy

The experts saw Karnataka's timely policy interventions and commitment to translate them into action as a key achievement

When it comes to renewable energy, Karnataka has emerged at the top of the 16 states in the country that account for 90 per cent of the country's annual power requirement, a study by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and EMBER said.

The study 'Indian States' Electricity Transition (SET)' evaluated the current position of the states, steps taken to move towards green energy and corrective actions needed to avoid the repetition of mistakes. It ranked the states based on decarbonisation, ability to incentivise the green market, reliable electricity supply during the transition and their innovative policies to decarbonise power sectors.

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Saloni Sachdeva Michael, Aditya Lolla and Vibhuti Garg, who authored the report, called for transparency and state-level data availability for better assessment of progress.
The experts saw Karnataka's timely policy interventions and commitment to translating them into action as a key achievement. "Karnataka is one of the few states which surpassed its renewable energy targets set for the end of 2022 (14.82 GW) with an installed capacity of 16 GW as of September 2022," it noted. However, it faulted the state for the burgeoning loans of the electricity companies.

Gujarat which follows Karnataka, however, carries the baggage of old coal-based plants. Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal found themselves at the bottom due to the lack of initiative to go green, seen as a low-hanging fruit in achieving India's NDC commitment made at the COP 26 meet in Glasgow.

The study said the power systems in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh need to be improved to support a clean transition. In the case of West Bengal, it said a shift away from the fossil fuel-intensive power sector needed more proactive policies and political will.

The experts termed as 'surprising' the lack of policies and political commitments from Tamil Nadu. "Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu have started their clean electricity transition but progress has not been consistent across all the dimensions," it said.

The study recommended the states set their renewable energy targets by considering the renewable energy potential. "State energy departments need to closely monitor their coal plants and retire older plants unless needed as peaker plants during the high-demand months," it added.

The experts recommended multi-dimensional efforts, from exporting surplus renewable energy to improving storage solutions, increased participation in the green market and bridging the gap between intent and implementation.