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Order of green ember books8/19/2023 India has announced a net zero target for 2070, but its path to get there is still unclear, Lolla said. But it needs a parallel plan to phase down coal-fired power, said Lolla of Ember. The country will need to install more than 40 gigawatts of clean energy on average every year to meet its 2030 goal. To accelerate India’s energy transition, “international climate finance is essential,” said Lolla of Ember. And the alternative, damages to lives and livelihoods due to climate change-driven extreme weather, is expensive too. One problem for building out storage has been cost, but costs are coming down, Jacob said. ![]() Jacob said without more storage it will be harder to integrate wind and solar energy into the grid even if new renewable energy projects come up, because of its intermittency. “Energy storage is important to ensure uninterrupted supply during extreme weather as well as to shift firmly towards clean energy,” said Ammu Jacob, a scientist at the think tank Center of Study of Science, Technology and Policy. Currently, India has only 3 gigawatts of storage, or enough to serve about 3 million homes for a year. The idea for storage is that batteries charge from excess power on the grid during hours when demand is low. One thing experts agree is needed is a massive amount of new energy storage, usually large arrays of batteries. While there is rapid growth in clean energy, it's nowhere near enough to meet peak demand. India currently meets about 10% of its power need with renewable energy. Records could be broken in the coming weeks. India’s power consumption grew 10% this February compared to last. That's driving up demand for cooling in the evening hours, Lolla said. It also often means that temperatures don't cool down as much at night. “There is a strong political incentive to ensure regular electricity supply this summer,” said Aditya Lolla, an energy policy analyst at the London-based environmental think tank, Ember.Įlectricity availability and electricity subsidies acutely affect election results in India and incumbent political parties strive to provide uninterrupted supply, especially when there are elections around the corner.Ĭlimate change doesn't just make daytime heat waves hotter. Major regional elections in the politically important southern Indian state of Karnataka will be held on May 10 and the national elections to elect a new prime minister will be held next year. He said India is achieving its climate goals fully and will continue to do so.īut others see national politics influencing the call to run the generating stations - including the oldest or dirtiest-burning - at full power for the duration of summer. India “has to ensure there is energy security as this is critical for the country’s development and growth,” said Alok Kumar, the most senior official in India’s federal power ministry. The government expects power demand to reach a high of 229 gigawatts in April. India has hundreds of coal-fired plants and mines dotted around the country. It relies on its abundant coal - plus some imports - for some 70% of electricity. India is the world’s second-largest country by population, and the third-largest emitter. The government order to keep the coal plants running is an example of a warming planet prompting action that further aggravates climate change. ![]() Several northern states including West Bengal, Rajasthan and Gujarat faced regular power outages. They lost money they couldn't afford to lose and endured pain working extra to complete work that should have taken half the time.Ĭooling systems across the country, now more urgently needed as climate change turns up the heat on already sweltering temperatures, were exhausting the grid. ![]() We had to use the manual tailoring machines and stitch with our hands,” said Halder, the secretary of her group. “Sometimes there were power cuts for up to 12 hours. The machines would go quiet, stopping progress on the uniforms they were on contract to deliver. She and several hundred other seamstresses at Mathurapur Sanghati Swayamber Sangha, a group that make clothing items and share the proceeds between them, have struggled to get orders out when they can’t rely on the electricity.ĭespite their proximity to the megacity of Kolkata, they lost power almost daily over part of last year’s blistering summer. Seventy miles from Kolkata in India’s West Bengal state, 48-year-old Kakali Halder knows the reason for the order. Analysts say it will dramatically increase India’s already sky-high greenhouse gas emissions. But this year’s order is even more sweeping than last year's - all coal and oil-fired generators will be maxed out for the entire summer, from April through June. BENGALURU, India (AP) - For the second year in a row, India’s government has ordered the nation’s coal-fired power plants to run at full power.
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