Narendra Modi's 24*7 power ambition: Why new government should focus on clean energy

China frequently provides the headlines in the clean energy world. The largest clean energy investor managed to raise eyebrows once again last month when it announced its new 2017 targets: 70 gigawatts of installed solar capacity (more than triple the current level), 150 gigawatts of wind and 330 gigawatts of hydropower.

In contrast, India plans 20 GW of solar by 2022, and adds less than 5 GW of clean energy capacity (solar, wind, small-hydro and biomass) per year. The first thing the prime minister, Narendra Modi, needs to do is raise the scale of ambition in the sector. If the stated intent of providing 24X7 power to every Indian is to be met, power supply will have to at least triple by 2030. There is room enough here for multiple sources and technologies.

I hear the sceptics saying: can India really afford renewables? The answer is an unequivocal yes, and the reason is that it can be cheaper than many conventional sources. The earlier model of subsidised coal-led power development is not delivering. Power supply is inadequate and unreliable for the user, while the power generators have to contend with unpaid bills.

Source: http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-06-01/news/50245914_1_power-supply-24x7-power-power-tariffs