Evaluating Clean Energy Goals in India

The USAID-NREL Partnership supported an India-led study showing the country can achieve its target of 175 gigawatts of installed renewable capacity by 2022.

The Greening the Grid study used a state-of-the-art model to show how the India power system balances generation and demand for every 15-minute interval of the year. States can better integrate high levels of wind and solar through enhanced coordination and increased flexible operation of existing thermal plants. To access full results, see Greening the Grid — India.

The government of India has laid out an ambitious goal: 175 gigawatts (GW) of installed renewable capacity by 2022, including 100 GW of solar and 60 GW of wind. To meet this goal, it turned to a team of specialists from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, India’s Power System Operator, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The team helped India determine the impacts of operating a power system with this level of wind and solar and to identify actions to improve renewable energy integration.

“Energy is a key determinant of growth and India needs sustainable energy sources to continue to grow at 7-8% annually. Introducing renewable energy solutions into established energy systems often requires changes to well established policy, institutions, and market structures. This study will prove to be helpful in scaling up renewable energy in India effectively and sustainably.”

—Michael Satin,
Director of Clean Energy and Environment at USAID/India