Making Indian Power Sector Low Carbon: Opportunities and Policy Challenges

It is both a challenge and an opportunity for the Indian power sector to strike a strategic balance between fast-paced economic growth, structural shift and social development without being on high greenhouse gas (GHG) emission pathway. The goal of this paper is to develop alternative scenarios for low GHG emission trajectory for next three decades. It needs to be reiterated that since all the growth will happen in coming decade or two, there are opportunities for India for making the right choices in technology, policy and investment decisions so that faster economic growth does not lock the economy into a high emission trajectory. This has become even more important with India’s commitment as party to Paris Agreement. In this paper, quantitative methods of scenario and trajectory development are followed and assessment is based on review of power sector policy reforms and visions as expressed in various official documents.

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