India Achieves Renewable Energy Goals Early, Says Minister Pralhad Joshi
The Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, announced on Monday that India has met its renewable energy targets for 2021-22, well ahead of the 2030 deadline. He highlighted that the country has successfully reduced the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33% between 2005 and 2019.
Joshi praised the government’s efforts to develop the solar ecosystem, stating, “India’s solar energy capacity has increased 33-times in the last 10 years. Under PM Modi ji, India’s energy transition has been one of the largest economic opportunities in the last 10 years.”
He also noted a 76% decrease in tariffs for grid-connected solar power plants and a 175% increase in installed renewable energy capacity from 75.52 GW in March 2014 to over 207.7 GW now.
Joshi highlighted the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, which has benefited more than 330,000 households. He mentioned that the union government is receiving overwhelming commitments from states and industry participants to support the goal of 500 GW by 2030.
Developers have committed an additional 570 GW, manufacturers have committed additional capacities in solar modules, solar cells, wind turbines, and electrolyzers, and financial institutions have committed $386 billion in financing by 2030.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is moving towards achieving 500 GW of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030.
Doubts Revealed
Renewable Energy -: Renewable energy comes from natural sources that can be replenished, like sunlight, wind, and water. It is different from energy that comes from burning fossil fuels like coal and oil, which can run out and pollute the environment.
Pralhad Joshi -: Pralhad Joshi is an Indian politician who is the Minister of New and Renewable Energy. He is responsible for making sure India uses more clean energy sources like solar and wind power.
GDP emissions intensity -: GDP emissions intensity measures how much pollution is produced for every unit of money the country makes. A 33% reduction means India is making more money while producing less pollution.
Solar energy capacity -: Solar energy capacity is the amount of energy that can be produced using solar panels. A 33-fold increase means that India can now produce 33 times more solar energy than it could a decade ago.
PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana -: The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana is a government program in India that aims to provide free electricity to homes using solar power. ‘Surya’ means sun, and ‘Muft Bijli’ means free electricity.
500 GW by 2030 -: 500 GW (gigawatts) is a measure of energy capacity. India aims to have the ability to produce 500 gigawatts of renewable energy by the year 2030. This is a big goal to help reduce pollution and use more clean energy.
