Beyond Coal, Beyond Oil

The future of India’s energy transition will depend not just on adding renewable power, but on redesigning grids, storage systems and supply chains for a volatile world

- SUNITA NARAIN

It is a time of great energy disruption. This is now well understood.

The question I asked previously is if this oil shock—caused by the US-Israel war against Iran—will disrupt the ongoing energy transition where, gradually but surely, renewable energy is making inroads into electricity generation across the world. Solar and wind energy, which were nascent and untested technologies during the oil shock of the 1970s, have now demonstrated that they can work at scale. The question now is how the world will evolve around the issues of energy security and rebuilding confidence in supply chains. This is where the new energy map will be drawn—between the old and new countries that supply fossil fuels, and China as the powerhouse of new green technology.

This time, I want to discuss India’s energy options going forward. What is clear is that the Indian government's strategy of displacing, and not replacing, coal is within reach. But challenges remain, and this must be the centre of our future focus.