Developing a roadmap to a flexible, low‐carbon Indian electricity system: interim findings

India can integrate 390GW of wind and solar generation by 2030 at a lower total system cost than its current trajectory by increasing the flexibility of electricity supply and demand. The report identifies four primary flexibility needs: operating reserves, ramping, daily balancing, and seasonal balancing, all of which will grow as renewable energy penetration increases. A 'balanced portfolio' combining demand-side management, energy storage, and powerplant flexibility is found to be the most cost-effective approach, reducing energy waste by 82% to 97%, total system costs by 5% to 8%, and carbon emissions by 8% to 12% compared to a thermal-only approach. Regional analysis reveals that states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka will face acute seasonal and ramping challenges, while Uttar Pradesh could act as a flexibility exporter due to its industrial base. The report concludes that urgent action on data, market design, and infrastructure is required to unlock these flexibility resources.

• India has the potential to integrate 390GW of wind and solar generation by 2030, which is more than 40% above the current renewable energy trajectory, while achieving a total system cost lower than that of the current trajectory.
• Flexibility needs—categorized as operating reserves, ramping, daily balancing, and seasonal balancing—will increase significantly across all analyzed scenarios, regardless of the level of clean energy ambition.
• A mixed portfolio of flexibility sources (demand-side, storage, and powerplant flexibility) is the most efficient option, resulting in 82% to 97% less wasted energy, 5% to 8% lower total system costs, and 8% to 12% lower carbon emissions compared to a portfolio relying solely on thermal powerplants.
• Demand-side flexibility is identified as a high-value, low-cost option that should be pursued regardless of the specific renewable energy policy, as it significantly reduces costs even at low renewable energy ambitions.
• The cost of stationary lithium-ion battery storage systems in India is forecasted to decline globally from $587/kWh in 2017 to $142/kWh by 2030.
• Regional flexibility needs vary significantly: Tamil Nadu faces severe seasonal balancing challenges where residual demand could fall to 1% in the lowest month by 2030, while Karnataka's ramping needs by 2030 are expected to be double the Indian average.
• Uttar Pradesh is positioned as a potential flexibility exporter due to its large industrial base and demand flexibility potential of 12GW across air conditioning, agricultural pumping, and industry.
• Existing thermal powerplants can provide 107GW of flexibility, though approximately 20GW of this would require significant investment and plant upgrades.

APA

Udetanshu, Pierpont, B., Khurana, S., & Nelson, D. (2019). Developing a roadmap to a flexible, low‐carbon Indian electricity system: interim findings. Climate Policy Initiative. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/CPI-India-Flexibility-February-2019.pdf

Chicago

Udetanshu, Brendan Pierpont, Saarthak Khurana, and David Nelson. Developing a roadmap to a flexible, low‐carbon Indian electricity system: interim findings. Climate Policy Initiative, 2019. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/CPI-India-Flexibility-February-2019.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Udetanshu |last2=Pierpont |first2=Brendan |last3=Khurana |first3=Saarthak |last4=Nelson |first4=David |title=Developing a roadmap to a flexible, low‐carbon Indian electricity system: interim findings |publisher=Climate Policy Initiative |date=February 2019 |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/CPI-India-Flexibility-February-2019.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{udetanshu2019developing, author = {Udetanshu and Pierpont, Brendan and Khurana, Saarthak and Nelson, David}, title = {{Developing a roadmap to a flexible, low‐carbon Indian electricity system: interim findings}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2019}, month = feb, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/CPI-India-Flexibility-February-2019.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }