Time to focus on power storage rather than only its generation

As India powers its post-pandemic recovery, energy occupies a central place. And within the broad contours of energy, electricity is a major issue.

Until recently, India’s policy planning with respect to electricity has been concerned primarily with generation. With transmission a relative laggard and state-owned distribution companies (discoms) in a financial mess, policy has focused on a meaningful contribution from renewable sources, particularly solar. India reached its initial goal of 20 gigawatts (GW) of solar power generation four years ahead of schedule. Subsequently, the government dramatically revised its target upward to achieve 175 GW of renewable sourced power by 2022, of which 100 GW is to come from solar, 60 GW from wind, 10 GW from bio-power and 5 GW from small hydropower. Even as we are behind on our wind power goals, sooner or later, we should be able to deliver on the solar plan.

With such a large generation capacity from renewables coming on-stream in the near future, the emphasis of India’s electricity sector needs to shift downstream.