India needs fivefold growth in wind and solar by 2030 to meet 1.5°C climate goals, analysis finds

A new analysis by Climate Analytics and the NewClimate Institute reveals that India needs to grow its wind and solar power generation fivefold by 2030 to align with global climate goals under the 1.5°C target. This would require generating around 1,100 TWh of electricity from wind and solar by the end of the decade. To achieve this, India would need significant international climate finance to support its transition away from coal, which currently generates 75% of its electricity.

Although India is on track to triple its wind and solar capacity by 2030 compared to 2022, it is projected to reach only 400 GW of capacity by then—falling short of the 600 GW needed. To bridge this gap, India would need an additional 140 GW of solar and 70 GW of wind capacity.

The report highlights that long-term planning and scaling up international climate finance are crucial for India to transition from coal. Additionally, the deployment of sufficient energy storage systems will be key to ensuring energy demand is met during non-solar hours.

Globally, the report indicates that across 11 key countries, including Australia, China, and the US, wind and solar power generation needs to grow fivefold by 2030 to meet climate goals.