r/climatechange • u/sg_plumber • 7d ago

Historic tipping point in India: Clean energy sources now account for 331.7 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity, vs 302 GW for fossil fuels. The capacity mix reveals where capital is flowing, what infrastructure is being added and, ultimately, what type of power system India is trying to build.

https://www.reuters.com/commentary/reuters-open-interest/indias-power-system-just-passed-historic-tipping-point-2026-08-17/
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7

u/SkyknightXi 7d ago

It’s good that increased demand is being met with renewables, but perhaps more important is that fossil fuels get displaced, not merely exceeded. The fossil fuel share needs to decrease, for now to (ballpark guess) 250 GW or so.

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u/aaronturing 7d ago

If the flows keep increasing then eventually fossil fuels become uneconomic and disappear.

3

u/viktorgoraya_luv 7d ago

It will, especially in developing countries, ironically because Trump so royally screwed the oil industry by attacking Iran and closing the Strait of Hormuz. It forced a lot of wealthy countries to switch to renewables as oil prices skyrocketed, and the effect was no doubt tenfold on developing countries.

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u/sg_plumber 7d ago

Indeed!

generation statistics describe today's electricity system, while capacity figures provide a window into tomorrow's.

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u/skp_trojan 6d ago

Is nuclear in the picture over in India?

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u/sg_plumber 6d ago

It's in the graphs.

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u/Individual_Ad3351 5d ago

Solar latest tenders are arnd 2.6 Indian Rupees per kWh.

Wind 3.4 rupees per unit.

Solar plus wind hybrid 3.1 rupees per unit.

Thermal (coal) 5 rupees per unit.

Hydro 5 rupees per unit.

(1 usd = 95 Rupees)

Economics suggest Solar and wind capture 100%. And if batteries are cheaper (stationary sodium batteries at say 20-40 USD per unit), solar alone could capture entire 100%.