Inida's Next Frontier in Clean Energy Technologies

As energy demand rises in India, capacity addition must come from cleaner sources of power to enable a green transition. India's renewable energy (RE) programme must now ensure that clean power is available in abundance to displace conventional power when and where needed. The country’s plan includes scaling up of battery and pumped-hydro storage with stronger transmission and grid flexibility, and market arrangements that remunerate balancing services. 

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) invites applications for its national roundtable on emerging priorities in India's energy transition. The event is expected to bring together policymakers, state nodal agencies, utilities, regulators, developers, financiers, manufacturers and Central and state government departments to discuss clean energy innovations and aspects such as green hydrogen, long-duration storage, grid modernisation, responsible project siting and green manufacturing. 

The workshop aims to bridge the gap between policy ambition and implementation by examining the assumptions, enabling conditions and practical constraints that will determine the success of India’s next phase of clean energy development. It will draw on ground-level experiences to identify gaps in planning, technology readiness, resource availability and institutional capacity, while exploring how proposed interventions can be adapted to regional needs and operating realities. The discussions will focus on identifying actionable pathways to improve project feasibility, deployment outcomes and the long-term sustainability of India’s clean energy transition.

KEY SESSIONS AND SUBJECTS OF DISCUSSION

• RE planning and demand adequacy: Assessing whether planned RE capacity additions can meet rising power demand; identifying gaps in generation, storage and grid infrastructure
• Long-duration storage: Technology readiness, project development and pathways for commercial deployment of pumped-hydro storage (PSP), battery energy storage systems (BESS), and other options
• Green hydrogen and industrial RE: Reliable, cost-competitive renewable supply for electrolysers, firm and dispatchable renewable power, electrolyser utilisation, and industrial offtake for hydrogen and its derivatives
• Land, water and project siting: Responsible siting of RE, storage and hydrogen projects, taking account of land-use change, water availability, biodiversity and local community priorities
• Domestic RE manufacturing and supply-chain resilience: Manufacturing of solar cells and modules, batteries and electrolysers, with attention to quality, scale and exposure to import disruptions
• Power costs and consumer affordability: Examining the affordability of power tariffs, cost pass-through to consumers, and the ability of households and industries to absorb electricity costs while ensuring reliable supply

FOR FURTHER DETAILS AND INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Binit Das
Programme Manager
Renewable Energy Programme, CSE
binit.das@cseindia.org
+91 80933 26269

KUSHAGRA GOYAL
Senior Research Associate
Sustainable Industrialization Unit, CSE
kushagra_goyal@cseindia.org
+91 9799436833