Energy resources

Story hook

On 30 November 2015, at the COP21 in Paris, India's PM Narendra Modi made a promise that shocked some climate negotiators: "175 GW of renewable energy by 2022." At the time, India's total renewable capacity was 38 GW — a 4.6x leap in 7 years. A few critics called it impossible. India hit 125 GW by July 2022 — short of the target but more than any other developing country had ever managed.

Three months earlier, at G20 Delhi (Sept 2023), Modi made a bigger promise: 500 GW non-fossil capacity by 2030 and net-zero by 2070. As of March 2024, India had:

• 183 GW renewable capacity installed (solar 73 GW, wind 45 GW, large hydro 47 GW, bioenergy 11 GW, small hydro 5 GW)
• ~7.5 GW nuclear
• ~234 GW thermal (coal+gas+diesel)
• Total 440+ GW installed capacity.

The geography of Indian energy is changing faster than any time in history. Rajasthan is now home to the world's largest solar park (Bhadla, 2,245 MW). Gujarat's Khavda Renewable Energy Park at the Pakistan border is targeting 30 GW by 2027 — bigger than entire countries' grids. Pavagada (Karnataka) lit up 2 GW on land that was failing-to-yield peanut farms.

But India still burns coal for 75% of its electricity. The Adani-Tata-Reliance fight over Talabira-Korba coal blocks continues. The Jhansi Bundelkhand solar push runs into water scarcity. Wind energy in TN-Karnataka coast hit a plateau because of grid curtailment. The Pavagada-Bhadla-Khavda "solar gold belt" has emerged. India's nuclear plans are delayed at Kalpakkam (PFBR) and Kudankulam (KKNPP units 3-6). The energy transition is real — and contested. UPSC tests it as a high-weight cross-paper topic: GS-I geography, GS-II governance, GS-III economy.

Why this matters for UPSC

Energy sits in GS-I (Geography), GS-II (Policy), GS-III (Economy, Environment). UPSC asks 1-2 Prelims questions every year on energy mix, installed capacity, schemes. Mains tested heavily in 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 — usually 250-marker on renewable energy or energy security.