Energy security is one of the major determinants of geopolitics, and it is equally important for a nation and for an individual.
I live in the Eastern part of India(State: Odisha) and Odisha state is one of the few states of India as a power surplus state.
That said, we do have scheduled power cuts in the summer season. As long as it is 1 hr power cut per day, I don't mind. As such, the urban areas mostly do not suffer from power cuts in Odisha.
Apart from that, the Government of India has floated so many schemes, including subsidies, to incentivize and promote solar energy in various sectors, including households and Agriculture-- viz PM Suryaghar, PM Krishi Sinchai Yojna, Sristi, etc.
India also signed its pledge at the Glasgow summit with 5 pledges in its Nationally Determined Contributions. The most important one being-- India to install 500 GW RE capacity by 2030 and to achieve 50% of its installed capacity from renewable sources by 2030. The best part is that India has already exceeded it by now.
At the same time, I must also say that carbon intensity of India is still high because we rely on thermal power plants mostly and since India has a good amount of coal reserve, and most poor people are dependent on it for their livelihood, it will take some time to transit to green energy contour.
That said we are progressing well. India has already received an investment of 4.7 lakh crore INR in the last 6 years in RE installations.
In terms of RE installations, India is third after China and Russia. India's RE installation capacity as of now is around 112 GW, and as per the Optimal Generation Mix report, it is like to grow to 392 GW by 2031.
The current coal share in the Energy mix is 73%, which is slated to go down to 55% by 2030 as per the Optimal Generation Mix 2030 report.
I have a strong affinity with Nature and Environment and anything that complements Nature and ensures Natural capital protection is dear to me. To be honest, I have a dream that by 2026 I would install a solar rooftop at my home. I would need around 60,000 INR (700 USD approx) for that.
I am also of the strong opinion that in our daily lifestyle we should be a bit more mindful about our carbon footprint. As far as possible, we should consciously adopt circular economy at home, try to opt into RE and green energy sources wherever possible.
Uninterrupted power supply is an imperative for economic growth, and sustainability. However, transitioning to green energy is equally an imperative in the face of climate change. Therefore, to ensure generational equity, we must be mindful of our consumption and daily lifestyle.
It's not easy when it comes to the transition to green-- because of our habitual disposition, and the second is affordability.
To drive adoption and demand, the government is giving a subsidy, but at the same time, the conscious citizens, the educated class of my country, should take the lead and set a new template of lifestyle habits by installing the rooftop solar panels in their homes, that will create a ripple effect. Becuase many people follow the trend. Let's set that trend to go GREEN.
Phasing out coal-based thermal power plants in India will never be sudden, it will be gradual. Second point is that Renewable Energy is an investment-heavy sector. And there also lies complexity in grid integration. Large-scale installation could also require a huge area, so that could potentially change the land use. Therefore, it requires continuity in the policy by the Government with minimal changes so that all the stakeholders can be onboarded into the value chain.
The evolving RE sector would need to be qualified by the circular economy as well. Because to reach net zero by 2050, it would require six times more critical minerals like Lithium ion. Therefore conservation of such minerals is equally important.
The least we could do at an individual level is to revisit our consumption habits, and consciously examine and ensure that there is now power wastage, it's a costly phenomenon to generate it, and second is at an individual capacity we should opt into RE sources and reduce the carbon foot print in our individual life. If we could do that, one day, it will translate into a global phenomenon.
Thank you.
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This article has been published in response to the Weekly Prompt by 
