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Mapping India’s Energy Subsidies 2020: Fossil fuels, renewables, and electric vehicles 2020 Annex Update
The annex updates data on electric vehicle GST concessions, power transmission infrastructure in Ladakh, LPG and kerosene subsidies, and a comprehensive list of coal producer and consumer taxes in India between FY 2014 and FY 2019.
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Document type: Report
Sustainable cooling solutions
The report outlines a comprehensive framework for sustainable cooling, categorizing solutions into four pillars: technology, services, policy, and finance. It emphasizes that achieving 'cooling for all' requires an optimized approach to meet fundamental needs in comfort and safety, food and nutrition, and health and care, particularly for vulnerable populations. The document introduces a five-part solution approach—Protect, Reduce, Shift, Improve, and Leverage—to guide the selection of measures ranging from nature-based passive cooling to high-efficiency active technologies and regulatory policies.
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Document type: Report
India's Energy Transition: The Cost of Meeting Air Pollution Standards in the Coal-fired Electricity Sector
The document estimates that installing SOx, NOx, and PM pollution-control technology in India's coal power plants will cost up to INR 86,135 crore (USD 12 billion), potentially increasing electricity tariffs by 9–21 per cent. It argues that the Ministry of Power must enforce strict compliance to ensure air pollution externalities are reflected in power prices and to prevent non-compliant plants from continuing operations without a phase-out plan.
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Document type: Policy brief
India's Energy Transition: Stranded coal power assets, workers and energy subsidies
The document analyzes the causes of financial distress in India's coal power sector, noting that approximately 18 per cent of installed capacity is 'stressed'. It identifies current drivers such as coal shortages and the financial instability of energy distribution companies (DISCOMs), while predicting future pressures from water scarcity, air pollution regulations, and the increasing cost-competitiveness of renewables. The author argues that government subsidies and preferential loans artificially mask these market signals. To prevent the burden of asset stranding from falling on the workforce, the brief suggests implementing complementary policies including general employment schemes, targeted social protection, and specific financing mechanisms.
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Document type: Briefing
India’s Energy Transition: Stranded coal power assets, workers and energy subsidies
The document examines the crisis of 'stressed' coal power assets in India, where approximately 21% of operational capacity was identified as non-performing in 2018. It identifies current drivers of stranding, such as the financial distress of distribution companies (DISCOMs) and coal shortages, alongside future risks including water scarcity, air pollution regulations, and the increasing cost-competitiveness of renewable energy. The authors argue that government subsidies and preferential financing have artificially dampened market signals, prolonging the life of unviable assets. Finally, the brief advocates for a 'just transition' framework to prevent the burden of asset stranding from falling on the millions of workers in the coal value chain, particularly in states like Jharkhand, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh.
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Document type: Briefing
Rethinking Southern Africa’s energy crisis
The document analyzes the energy crisis in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) regions, highlighting a significant gap between electricity generation and demand. It identifies key obstacles, including inadequate infrastructure investment, the insolvency of national utilities due to low tariffs, and the disproportionate influence of South Africa's coal-dominated energy system. The authors argue that while energy crises often push states toward inward-looking policies, regional cooperation, harmonized regulation, and transboundary projects offer the most viable path to energy security and economic development.
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Document type: Briefing
Perceptions of Electricity Sector Reform in Uttar Pradesh
The report analyzes the financial instability of electricity distribution companies (discoms) in Uttar Pradesh, where a significant revenue gap of INR 21,486 crores existed in FY16. It examines consumer attitudes toward tariff hikes, revealing that while most expect increases, there is strong opposition to them unless linked to service improvements. The report also evaluates the UDAY scheme, finding that while it has reduced interest costs through bond issuance, progress on key operational milestones like smart metering and feeder segregation has been limited. Recommendations include improving rural metering, implementing targeted compensation for vulnerable users, and enhancing communication strategies to build public support for cost-reflective tariffs.
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Document type: Report
India Energy Subsidy
The document outlines India's shift toward market-driven energy pricing and targeted subsidies via direct benefit transfer. It details the draft National Energy Policy's goal to align domestic prices with international rates and the potential inclusion of petroleum and electricity under the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Key sector updates include the legal obligation for states to provide 24/7 power by March 2019, the phasing out of kerosene subsidies by 2020, and the reduction of LPG tax rates to 5% for domestic consumers. Additionally, it notes the impact of rising crude oil prices on the national subsidy burden and the declining cost of wind power through reverse auctions.
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Document type: Briefing
INDONESIA ENERGY SUBSIDY NEWS BRIEFING
The document details the Indonesian government's management of energy subsidies across LPG, electricity, and liquid fuels, noting a trend of increasing budget allocations due to delayed reforms and external price pressures. It highlights the transition to targeted subsidies using poverty databases and smart cards, the implementation of the 'One Price Policy' to ensure fuel affordability in remote areas, and the long-term financial implications of capacity payments for coal-fired power plants.
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Document type: Briefing
Testimony Regarding A5330 and S3560
The Clean Air Task Force argues that New Jersey's nuclear plants, specifically Hope Creek and Salem, are critical for maintaining the state's zero-carbon electricity share. The testimony asserts that replacing these plants with wind and solar would require an impractical scale of immediate buildout, and replacing them with gas would increase regional emissions by approximately 11 million tons annually, undermining goals like those of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The author supports a proposed subsidy of approximately $10/MWH to keep these plants operational as a low-cost interim measure.
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Document type: Statement
SCALING SUSTAINABLE ACCESS PATHWAYS FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE AND HARDEST TO REACH PEOPLE
The document argues that 'business-as-usual' energy solutions fail the poorest populations, particularly women and those in rural Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. It proposes two primary pathways for acceleration: integrating energy services into social protection safety nets and empowering women as entrepreneurs within the energy value chain. The paper highlights the role of digitalization and mobile money in improving targeting and financial inclusion, while noting significant gaps in evidence and funding for decentralized energy projects compared to general subsidies.
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Document type: Research paper
THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY’S GRID RESILIENCE PRICING PROPOSAL: A COST ANALYSIS
The research note analyzes four implementation scenarios for the DOE's Grid Resilience Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR), which would compensate coal and nuclear plants for costs not recovered in wholesale markets. The analysis finds that annual customer costs could range from $311 million to $10.6 billion, with a high concentration of benefits accruing to a small number of companies, particularly in the PJM region.
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Document type: Research paper
What is the true cost of coal in Central Java?
The document examines the 'true cost' of coal-fired power in Central Java, Indonesia, contrasting the financial and social costs of planned coal expansion against the potential of renewable energy. It argues that current capacity plans may lead to unnecessary overcapacity and that the inclusion of health and climate externalities makes renewables a cheaper alternative.
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Document type: Case study
DOE grid study a prelude to polluter bailout
Friends of the Earth criticizes a Department of Energy grid reliability study for omitting climate change and advocating for expedited permitting for coal and nuclear infrastructure, which the organization views as a bailout for non-competitive, dirty energy sources.
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Document type: Statement
The Fight for Light: Improving Energy Access through Digital Payments
The report argues that digital payments are critical for achieving Sustainable Development Goal #7 (universal energy access) by reducing the high costs and risks associated with cash-based collections. It identifies three primary barriers: the financial unviability of grid extension in rural areas, high upfront costs for clean-energy assets, and a lack of private investment. The document proposes solutions such as bundling prepaid smart meters with digital payments, implementing pay-as-you-go (PAYGo) financing for solar home systems, and digitizing energy subsidies to reduce leakages. Case studies from South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, India, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia illustrate how these digital tools improve utility profitability, expand renewable energy reach, and enhance financial inclusion for low-income households.
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Document type: Case study
Dukungan Finansial untuk Batubara dan Energi Terbarukan di Indonesia
The report identifies 15 subsidy policies for Indonesia's coal industry, estimating subsidies at US$946 million in 2014 and US$644 million in 2015. In contrast, renewable energy subsidies were US$36 million in 2014 and US$133 million in 2015. While per-unit subsidies are similar, the report argues that coal's true cost is much higher when external costs from air pollution and carbon emissions—estimated at US$6 cents per kWh—are included. It concludes that Indonesia's energy policy should shift toward a larger share of renewables to reduce long-term societal costs.
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Document type: Executive summary
Financial Supports for Coal and Renewables in Indonesia
The report finds that while coal may appear cheaper on a per-unit basis when considering only generation costs and subsidies, its "true cost" is significantly higher than that of renewable energy once environmental and health externalities are included. In 2015, subsidies to coal were estimated at USD 644 million, nearly five times the USD 133 million provided to renewables. The authors argue that Indonesia's energy policy should shift toward increasing the share of renewable energy and reducing coal to lower the long-term cost to society.
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Document type: Executive summary
Microsoft Word - FERCMemo24Apr2017 (3).docx
Amory B. Lovins of RMI argues that subsidies for distressed nuclear plants are unjustified because closing high-cost nuclear units and reinvesting their operating expenses into energy efficiency can reduce more carbon than maintaining the plants. He contends that 'baseload' power is not a grid requirement and that variable renewables are more resilient and cost-effective than central thermal plants.
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Document type: Statement
A Solar Journey: Reaching the remotest villages
The document reports on the deployment of solar energy in Sarda Village, Odisha, India, highlighting how the village's remote location in a dense forest hinders market linkages and the accessibility of electricity and basic services such as healthcare, education, and lighting.
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Document type: Research paper
Indonesia’s Financially Sustainable Electricity Sector
The report evaluates the Indonesian power sector using the Financial Sustainability Electricity Sector (FSES) framework. It finds that while generation capacity and reliability are improving, the sector remains heavily dependent on government subsidies and coal, with renewable energy deployment lagging behind official targets.
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Document type: Report