India’s clean energy moonshot runs into headwinds

What happened: India announced a 900-gigawatt non-fossil power capacity goal in late September, nearly double its existing 500-gigawatt target for 2030, as it struggles to use all the renewable electricity it can generate. Key numbers: 900 GW new target; 500 GW prior 2030 target; just over 300 GW current clean Why it matters: Experts say meeting the target could lower electricity costs, curb coal construction and accelerate the transition, but inadequate transmission, coal dependence and battery imports pose hurdles, and Berkeley warns new coal plants could become stranded assets.

India announced a 900-gigawatt non-fossil power capacity goal in late September, nearly double its existing 500-gigawatt target for 2030, as it struggles to use all the renewable electricity it can generate.

Experts say meeting the target could lower electricity costs, curb coal construction and accelerate the transition, but inadequate transmission, coal dependence and battery imports pose hurdles, and Berkeley warns new coal plants could become stranded assets.