We are in the middle of an unprecedented expansion in renewable energy. But it comes at a huge ecological and human cost
At the recently concluded COP26 in Glasgow, India proclaimed on the global stage that by 2030, it would elevate its renewable power capacity to 500 GW from 150 GW today, and that it would meet 50% of its energy requirements from renewable energy. Even as energy analysts scratch their heads about whether India’s 50% pledge refers to capacity or generation (more on this later), one thing is clear: we are in the middle of an unprecedented expansion in the renewable energy sector.As for solar energy, between 2014 and 2021, India increased its capacity 15-fold. The government now aims to increase the 2020 installed solar capacity of 37 GW three-fold by 2022, to a staggering 270 GW — possibly even more — by 2030. India’s noble ambitions for solar energy,…