India Looks to Take A Break From Coal Power

India relies on coal for approximately 75 percent of its rapidly growing electricity supply. But according to an updated national electricity plan, India’s power grid will be asking coal for a little breathing space.

Background: Every five years, the Indian government issues a plan outlining priorities for electricity sector development. A draft provided in September of last year suggested that the country would need 8,000 megawatts of new coal capacity by 2027.

In the final report, the country said it will not consider new coal plants through at least 2027. Instead, the new plan includes 8,600 megawatts of battery energy storage systems to supplement renewable electricity investments, a huge investment.

Not all clean

According to some analysts spilling the tea about the deal, part of the reason for the break is that coal has been working too late with a suspicious co-worker: there are already several coal plants under construction in India.

• Longer-term plans show a return to coal investment beyond 2027.

Zoom out: Green energy investment in India is proceeding at a remarkable pace, but they have set and missed ambitious targets in the past.

Sometimes a messy break can make you realize how much you need each other.