India's clean energy ambitions blunted but rebounding

India faces a setback in its clean energy goals due to delays in solar projects, but hope remains for recovery.

Sibi Arasu reports for The Associated Press

In short:

• India's clean energy installations fell short of its target last year, with only 13.7 gigawatts added compared to the needed 40 gigawatts annually to meet 2030 goals.
• Conflicting policies and high import taxes on solar modules have created uncertainty among developers, leading to delays in project completion.
• Despite these challenges, experts believe India can still make significant progress in clean energy, with recent trends suggesting a potential rebound.

Key quote:

"Meeting the 2030 target for clean energy is highly challenging."

— Charith Konda, analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.

Why this matters:

The struggle and potential comeback of India's clean energy sector points to the global challenge of transitioning away from fossil fuels to combat climate change. This issue is crucial for health outcomes as cleaner energy sources can lead to reduced air pollution, a major concern in India, impacting millions of lives.