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Opinion | Heatwave and coal crisis are signs India should speed up its renewable energy push
- Rising demand for electricity is feeding India’s power crisis as it reshapes its energy grid for the future
- Investing in renewable and clean energy, along with strong policies to support and achieve the goals, is the way forward
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Why you can trust SCMP
Millions are suffering in India’s relentless heatwave. The country experienced its hottest March in over a century. Temperatures went above 46 degrees Celsius last month, with northwest and central Indian seeing their hottest April in more than 120 years.
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Construction workers, vendors and workers in the informal sector have struggled to work in this unusually hot summer. Adding to the woes are the frequent power cuts as India faces its worst power crisis in years due to a shortage of coal as prices skyrocket.
In March, India set a record for peak power demand of 201.066 gigawatts (GW) with at least 86 power plants reporting critically low coal stock levels, limiting electricity supply across the country.
The increasing coal and power prices are a sign that India should speed up its move towards domestically produced renewable energy.
India has set renewable energy targets for 2030 and pledges to achieve net zero by 2070. For these to materialise, India should have robust policies and make significant investments to bolster its climate resilience against rising temperatures.
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India’s record-breaking heatwave leaves construction workers sweltering and ill
India’s record-breaking heatwave leaves construction workers sweltering and ill
Global warming and the heat island effect – the phenomenon of heat being retained within cities – are intensifying India’s heatwaves, resulting in unusual temperature rises. Investing in renewable and clean energy, along with strong policies to support and achieve the goals, should see us through the power crisis.
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