The Lok Sabha was informed on Thursday that the increasing share of renewable energy in India’s power grid has led to a 9 percent reduction in its average carbon intensity over the past decade. Minister of State for Power Shripad Yesso Naik highlighted in a written response that the carbon emission factor of grid electricity in India has significantly decreased from 2013-14 to 2022-23 due to the growing contribution of renewable energy.
The share of renewable energy in total power generation has risen from around 5 percent in 2013-14 to 12 percent in 2022-23, contributing to this decline in carbon intensity. However, carbon emissions from coal-based power generation have also increased during this period, from 897.28 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) in 2018-19 to 943.04 MMT in 2022-23, alongside a rise in coal-based power generation from 987.68 Billion Units (BU) to 1043.83 BU.
Minister Naik noted the unprecedented growth in electricity demand, driven by the rapid expansion of the Indian economy. Electricity demand in India has grown by approximately 9 percent over the years 2021-22 and 2022-23, with total emissions increasing in line with the surge in electricity generation.
To reduce dependency on coal-based thermal power plants, the Indian government has planned to boost the installed capacity of non-fossil fuel-based electricity generation. In its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), India is committed to achieving about 50 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030. Currently, India has already achieved 45.5 percent of its installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based resources.
Despite the significant increase in renewable energy capacity, the share of renewable power generation has remained static at 12 percent for the past three years.
