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This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Idam Infrastructure Advisory Pvt. Ltd. proposes a system-level framework for planning and implementing distributed renewable energy (DRE) in rural India. Moving beyond fragmented, scheme-driven installations, the study advocates for a 'Model DRE Village' approach that integrates load typology analysis, utility-led planning, and coordinated financing to improve rural electricity reliability and support India's 500 GW non-fossil capacity target by 2030.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) evaluates the financial and technical requirements for transitioning India's iron and steel (I&S) sector to low-carbon production. It proposes a Green Industrial Policy (GIP) combining targeted subsidies, carbon pricing, and green public procurement to shift the industry from carbon-intensive blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) pathways toward hydrogen-based direct reduced iron-electric arc furnace (DRI-EAF) systems by 2050.

This report describes two new methodological updates to the Open-Source Spatial Electrification Tool (OnSSET) designed to account for grid unreliability. While standard OnSSET modelling assumes 100% reliability for grid extensions, these updates introduce the Cost of Non-Served Energy (CNSE) and diesel back-up system proxies to more accurately reflect the costs of power outages. A case study in eastern Uganda demonstrates that incorporating these reliability metrics shifts the 'least-cost' electrification pathway away from grid extension and toward decentralized off-grid solutions.