Renewable energy minister Joshi faces the challenge of achieving targets with less wastage of electricity

Renewable energy minister Joshi faces the challenge of achieving targets with less wastage of electricity

India has set an ambitious target of 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030-31. Along with this, affordable storage capacities and National Green Hydrogen Mission are also to be developed. The Hydrogen Mission plans to produce 50 lakh tonnes (5 MMT) of green hydrogen every year.

This is in addition to the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Free Electricity Scheme which aims to provide 300 units of free electricity to one crore households every month. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said in various programs that India has to increase this to three times but if the two power ministries do not work together, it will be impossible.

India’s renewable energy became a success story in the last decade as the power sector (transmission companies) provided free access to green corridors, discoms were asked to buy renewable power on priority basis and local dispatch centres of the transmission infrastructure were asked not to refuse renewable power. Joshi’s biggest challenge will be to continue the coordination between these while minimising transmission losses.

What needs to be done

Electricity for the poor

The aim of the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Free Electricity Scheme is to provide 300 units of free electricity every month to one crore poor families through rooftop solar. Modi has now set a new target – 3 crore houses. An outlay of Rs 75,000 crore has been approved for this

policy issues

Solar module prices have fallen significantly globally in recent years, but in India, they have until recently suffered from unstable import duties — the government first imposed high import duties and then reversed them within a year

Capacity building

India intends to more than triple the capacity by the end of 2030. But for this, the country will have to add at least 40 gigawatts of capacity every year to achieve the target of installing 500 gigawatts of clean energy by the end of the decade. To put this in perspective, India has been able to add only 13.7 gigawatts of renewable energy—solar, wind and hydro—in 2023.

Green Hydrogen Mission

The Green Hydrogen Mission launched in 2023 is set to make India a major hub for the production and export of this resource. Under this, there is a plan to produce 50 lakh tonnes (5 MMT) of green hydrogen every year by 2030. The Center has set aside Rs 19,750 crore for this mission

Pralhad Joshi, 61 years BJP, Minister of New and Renewable Energy

> Early years

Joshi’s political journey began in the early ’90s with communal tension and hoisting of the national flag at Idgah Maidan in Hubli, which led him to become the president of the Dharwad district branch of the BJP. After this, he also took charge of the party in the state.

> Political journey

Joshi, a five-time MP from Dharwad, is considered key to his organisational and election management skills. A trusted aide of Modi-Shah, Joshi emerged as a national leader after the demise of Ananth Kumar. A soft-spoken man, Joshi has friends across parties. He is not seen as a threat by any of the two factions of the BJP in the state, one led by former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and the other by B.L. Santosh. Apart from his political responsibilities, Joshi has also been associated with various social initiatives, including a midday meal scheme for school children in his home state.

> Existing role

Joshi held important portfolios like coal, mining and parliamentary affairs in the previous Modi government. But his new ministry is unique—two separate ministers for power and renewable energy. Joshi will have to ensure that both work in harmony

Shripad Yesso Naik, 71 years BJP, The North Goa MP is also the Minister of State for Power

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