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Introduction

India has crossed 250 GW of non-fossil installed capacity, yet reliable round-the-clock clean power remains elusive. The challenge today is not capacity addition alone, but building resilience, flexibility and efficient power delivery systems.

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Why Renewable Growth Has Not Ensured Reliable Power Supply

• Low Generation: High installed renewable capacity does not mean equal electricity generation because solar and wind are intermittent and seasonal.
  Eg: Non-fossil sources form ~half of installed capacity but contribute only about one-fourth of actual power generation.
• Daytime Dependence: Solar generation peaks during the day, while electricity demand often rises in the evening, creating supply-demand mismatch.
• Grid Curtailment: Renewable surplus is often wasted because weak transmission networks cannot evacuate or distribute power effectively.
• Weak Storage: Lack of adequate battery and pumped storage limits renewable dispatchability and forces dependence on thermal backup.
  Eg: Cheap solar power at ₹2–3 per unit still cannot ensure round-the-clock supply without storage support.
• Discom Stress: Financially weak discoms cannot efficiently purchase, distribute or integrate renewable power into the system.
  Eg: Discom accumulated losses remain ~₹1 lakh crore, affecting supply reliability.

Structural Challenges in India’s Power Transition

• Coal Grid: India’s grid was originally designed for centralised coal plants, not for decentralised and variable renewable sources.
  Eg: Coal-based states like Chhattisgarh still face rising demand despite renewable expansion elsewhere.
• Intra-State Gaps: Inter-state transmission improved, but intra-state substations and last-mile networks remain too weak for renewable absorption.
  Eg: Rajasthan had 3.3 GW idle solar power despite demand elsewhere.
• Market Design: Electricity markets still value only energy units, not capacity availability or system flexibility needed for renewable stability.
  Eg: Unlike the UK capacity market, India lacks strong pricing for backup availability and ancillary services.
• Missing Flexibility: Storage, flexible generation and demand response lack strong revenue signals, slowing private investment in balancing systems.
  Eg: Battery storage investment remains uncertain due to absence of clear market incentives.
• Distribution Crisis: Cross-subsidies and inefficient tariff structures keep discoms financially weak and distort real electricity pricing.
  Eg: Industrial consumers pay near cost-reflective tariffs while agriculture and households receive heavily subsidised supply.

Measures for Reliable Round-the-Clock Clean Energy

• Stronger Grids: Focus on substations, feeder upgrades and intra-state transmission to move renewable power efficiently within states.
• Storage Push: Expand battery storage, pumped hydro and hybrid renewable projects for continuous power supply beyond solar hours.
  Eg: PM-KUSUM and pumped storage projects can support dispatchable renewable energy.
• Market Reform: Separate pricing for energy, capacity and flexibility to reward reliability and encourage storage investments.
  Eg: Learning from the UK and PJM (US) models where peak availability and ancillary services are explicitly priced.
• Discom Reform: Promote feeder segregation, transparent subsidies and DBT to reduce losses and improve distribution efficiency.
  Eg: Maharashtra’s feeder segregation model has improved operational efficiency.
• Farm Solarisation: Solarise agricultural feeders to provide reliable daytime power and reduce subsidy burdens on discoms.

Conclusion 

India’s energy transition must move beyond megawatts to dependable electricity access. Reliable clean power will emerge only when generation, grids, markets and discom reforms work together to make renewable energy truly resilient and affordable.

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