Open AccessLeast-cost targets and avoided fossil fuel capacity in India’s pursuit of renewable energy
Author(s) -
Ranjit Deshmukh,
Amol Phadke,
Duncan S. Callaway
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2008128118
Subject(s) - renewable energy , fossil fuel , photovoltaic system , electricity , natural resource economics , wind power , electricity generation , grid parity , environmental science , energy development , environmental economics , distributed generation , engineering , waste management , economics , power (physics) , electrical engineering , physics , quantum mechanics
Significance This study examines electricity and carbon mitigation costs associated with achieving aggressive renewable energy targets in India’s electricity grid in 2030. We find that wind-majority or balanced wind–solar targets have the lowest carbon mitigation costs, which invites revisiting India’s proposed solar-majority targets. Contrary to prevailing assumptions, achieving high renewable energy targets will not avert the need to build new fossil fuel power plants. However, building significant numbers of wind and solar plants (600 GW) will reduce how often fossil fuel power plants must run, holding India’s 2030 electricity emissions at its 2018 level at costs comparable to a fossil fuel-dominated grid. As costs decrease, battery storage can cost-effectively avert the need for new fossil fuel power plants.