States Drive India's Ambitious Renewable Energy Push to Meet 2030 Non-Fossil Capacity Target

India's ambitious goal of reaching 500 gigawatts (GW) of non-fossil fuel-based energy capacity by 2030 is now largely driven by proactive state-level initiatives. Senior officials from key states including Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Kerala gathered at the Windergy India 2025 summit to present their aggressive renewable energy roadmaps. These plans encompass a wide range of strategies, from achieving 100 GW ambitions and repowering old wind farms to adopting innovative hybrid solar-wind-storage models.

A critical theme emphasized was the necessity of robust transmission infrastructure to support this transition. Former CERC member Arun Goyal highlighted that energy transition is impossible without transmission and stressed the urgency of fixing intrastate grid bottlenecks and resolving right-of-way (ROW) issues that cause implementation delays.

Gujarat is setting a strong precedent, aiming for 100 GW of renewable capacity by 2030, comprising 20% of India's national target. It offers a transparent, single-window portal for approvals and is expanding its evacuation infrastructure. Rajasthan, already the largest renewable energy state, leverages its significant wind potential and has a Rs 26,000-crore transmission investment plan, while empowering district committees to expedite ROW clearances.

Tamil Nadu is revising its policies to restore investor confidence, focusing on improving transparency and speeding up evacuation corridors. It also plans to bid out offshore wind projects. Karnataka is turning to hybrid renewable energy and battery storage solutions to ensure round-the-clock power supply, contracting significant capacity by 2030 and 2035. Maharashtra is developing a new state RE policy targeting 65 GW by 2030, including hybrid projects and a repowering plan for old wind farms. Kerala is innovating with small and micro wind systems suitable for its terrain.

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) plans to use Contract-for-Difference (CfD) and Round-the-Clock (RTC) tenders to increase wind power's share, ensuring no contraction in wind demand. These coordinated efforts by states and SECI position India's wind sector for a significant growth phase, moving towards storage-backed, competitive clean energy ecosystems.

Impact: This news has a significant impact on the Indian stock market, particularly the renewable energy sector. The policy directions, state-level targets, and focus on infrastructure development indicate future investment opportunities, potential growth for companies involved in solar, wind, storage, and transmission, and potential challenges for those reliant on fossil fuels. The emphasis on overcoming regulatory and grid hurdles is crucial for investor confidence. Rating: 9/10

Difficult Terms: * **Non-fossil capacity**: Refers to electricity generation capacity that does not rely on burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, or natural gas. Examples include solar, wind, hydro, and nuclear power. * **Gigawatt (GW)**: A unit of power equal to one billion watts. It is commonly used to measure the capacity of electricity generation plants or the total electricity demand of a region. * **Windergy India 2025 summit**: An annual event focused on the wind energy sector, bringing together industry professionals, policymakers, and stakeholders to discuss advancements, challenges, and opportunities in wind power. * **Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC)**: A statutory body established by the Indian government to regulate electricity tariffs and trading in the country. * **Repowering**: The process of replacing old, less efficient wind turbines with new, more powerful, and efficient ones at an existing wind farm site to increase energy output and efficiency. * **Hybrid solar-wind-storage models**: Systems that combine solar power generation, wind power generation, and battery storage technology to provide a more consistent and reliable electricity supply, mitigating the intermittency of individual sources. * **Transmission planning**: The process of designing and developing the electricity transmission network (high-voltage power lines) needed to carry electricity from generation sources to consumers, ensuring grid stability and reliability. * **Grid bottlenecks**: Congestions or limitations in the electricity grid that prevent the smooth and efficient flow of power from where it is generated to where it is needed. * **Intrastate**: Referring to matters that occur within the boundaries of a single state in India, as opposed to interstate, which involves multiple states. * **Evacuation infrastructure**: The network of transmission lines and substations required to transfer electricity generated at power plants to the main grid. * **Khavda RE park**: A large-scale Renewable Energy (RE) park being developed in Gujarat, intended to house significant solar and wind power projects. * **Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation**: A state government agency responsible for promoting and developing renewable energy projects in Rajasthan. * **Right-of-way (ROW) issues**: Problems related to obtaining the legal right to use land for infrastructure projects like transmission lines or pipelines, often involving land acquisition, permissions, and compensation. * **Solar park**: A designated area of land where solar power projects can be developed, often with pre-approved infrastructure like land, transmission connectivity, and environmental clearances. * **Wind pioneer**: A state or entity that was among the first or has been historically prominent in developing and adopting wind energy technology. * **Offshore wind**: Wind turbines located in the sea or on the seabed, harnessing stronger and more consistent winds compared to onshore locations. * **Viability gap funding (VGF)**: A grant provided by the government to make financially unviable projects viable, typically to support infrastructure projects that have positive externalities but struggle to attract private investment due to low returns. * **Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs)**: Contracts between electricity generators and electricity buyers (like distribution companies) that set the terms and price for the sale of electricity over a specified period. * **Battery storage**: Systems that store electrical energy in batteries for later use, crucial for grid stability and ensuring power availability when renewable sources are not generating. * **Round-the-clock (RTC) supply**: Ensuring a continuous and uninterrupted supply of electricity, 24 hours a day, typically achieved through a mix of generation sources and storage. * **Standalone wind**: Wind power projects that operate independently, without being integrated with other generation sources like solar or storage in a hybrid model. * **Wind atlas**: A map or dataset that shows the wind speed and potential across a geographical area, used to identify optimal locations for wind farms. * **Micro wind systems**: Small-scale wind turbines, typically used for individual homes, farms, or small communities, often in areas where large-scale projects are not feasible. * **Contract-for-Difference (CfD)**: A financial mechanism where a generator receives a fixed price for their electricity, with a "difference" payment from or to the government if the market price deviates from this fixed price, providing revenue certainty. * **Technology-agnostic**: Not favouring or being limited to a specific technology; open to any suitable technology. * **Dispatchable clean power**: Electricity from clean energy sources that can be turned on or off as needed to meet demand, unlike intermittent sources that generate power only when conditions are right. * **Land-linked projects**: Renewable energy projects, typically solar or wind farms, that are dependent on land availability and access for their development and operation.