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The report argues that India is uniquely positioned to lead in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production via the power-and-biomass-to-liquids (PBtL) pathway. By combining world-leading low-cost green hydrogen (driven by cheap solar power) with an abundance of surplus agricultural residue, India can produce SAF at costs significantly lower than global benchmarks. The analysis shows that PBtL is more resource-efficient and has a lower carbon intensity than other pathways like HEFA, ATJ, and BtL. The report projects that PBtL SAF could reach price parity with fossil aviation turbine fuel (ATF) in the 2030s, providing a hedge against crude oil price volatility and reducing air pollution from crop residue burning. It identifies regions around Delhi, Pune, and Mumbai airports as ideal for first-of-a-kind demonstration projects.

The report evaluates the PM-KUSUM scheme's grid-connected components (A and C-FLS), which aim to deploy decentralized solar power plants (1–10 MW) on farmers' land. While the economic case is strong—with land leases earning farmers an average of INR 30,000/acre annually and investments yielding 11%–16% returns—scaling has been gradual. The report identifies three primary barriers: governance challenges limiting state ownership, market barriers such as misaligned tariffs and thin financing, and structural constraints regarding land access and grid readiness. It recommends a flexible, cooperative federalism approach for the next phase, the adoption of competitive bidding for tariff discovery, and the creation of state-level 'incentive stacks' to complement Union Government incentives.

The report evaluates the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) scheme, specifically Components A (decentralized solar plants) and C-FLS (feeder-level solarization). While these components offer significant benefits—including reliable daytime power for farmers, reduced agricultural subsidies for DISCOMs, and rural employment—they have seen low uptake, with only 7% and 34% achievement against targets respectively as of December 2025. Key barriers include a mismatch between regulatory tariffs and market costs, inadequate rural grid infrastructure, complex land acquisition and leasing laws, and poor institutional coordination between state agencies and distribution companies (DISCOMs). The report recommends shifting toward competitive bidding, implementing GIS-based land identification, adopting virtual feeder segregation via IoT, and enhancing the leadership role of DISCOMs in project implementation.

The report analyzes India's energy subsidy landscape in FY 2025 and FY 2026, highlighting a significant imbalance where fossil fuel subsidies are three times higher than clean energy subsidies. It details the fiscal strain on state governments due to rising electricity subsidies and the vulnerability of the national budget to global LPG and crude oil price volatility caused by conflict in the Gulf. The analysis argues for a strategic shift from recurring fossil fuel subsidies to one-time capital investments in renewable energy, electric cooking, and electric mobility to enhance energy security and fiscal sustainability.

The SET 2026 report assesses 21 Indian states on their electricity transition, finding that progress is fragmented and that leadership in one area, such as decarbonisation, does not automatically ensure system-wide readiness. While states like Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh lead in decarbonisation, and Delhi and Haryana excel in power ecosystem readiness, most states face structural gaps in areas like smart metering, energy storage, and DISCOM financial health. The report emphasizes the need for coordinated state-level interventions to align capacity additions with grid readiness and market-enabling policies.

The document outlines a framework for Indian businesses to transition to clean energy solutions over a two-to-five-year horizon. It emphasizes three core principles: prioritizing the reduction of energy demand, acting immediately while improving performance over time, and continuously improving data quality. The guide provides detailed action plans for measuring annual energy consumption through audits and benchmarking, optimizing logistics via supply chain redesign and modal shifts, and transitioning vehicle fleets to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) through baseline assessments and pilot projects. It also details various central and state-level government incentives available to support these transitions.

The document challenges the narrative that wind and solar power drive up electricity costs, asserting that real-world data from multiple global markets often shows an inverse relationship. It highlights that in the US and EU, regions with higher-than-average renewable shares frequently have lower-than-average household power prices. While acknowledging that factors like transmission costs, wildfire mitigation, and market liquidity can influence prices, the briefing concludes that renewables generally lower wholesale costs by displacing expensive fossil fuels.

The report analyzes the rising effective costs of coal power in India due to underutilisation, which is expected to increase average tariffs by roughly 25% as PLFs fall. It highlights that fixed costs drive 85% of this increase, making new coal capacity economically inferior to Firm and Dispatchable Renewable Energy (FDRE). The author concludes that India's 2032 power goals can be met with the ~35 GW of coal already in the pipeline, rendering further expansion unnecessary and financially risky for distribution companies (DISCOMs).

The report argues that as India expands solar and wind capacity, coal's role will shift from baseload provider to a flexible balancing resource, leading to lower plant load factors (PLFs) and higher effective costs. By FY 2031-32, coal-based electricity is projected to be roughly 25% costlier than in FY 2024-25. The analysis suggests that the ~35 GW of coal capacity currently under construction is sufficient for reliability, making further coal expansion uneconomical compared to firm and dispatchable renewable energy (FDRE) and storage options.

The report examines agriphotovoltaics (AgriPV) as a solution to land-use conflicts between solar energy and agriculture in India. It identifies significant technical potential, ranging from 3,156 GW to 13,803 GW, but notes that adoption is hindered by high capital costs, rigid land-use laws, and a lack of a formal regulatory definition. The study models feed-in tariffs between INR 3.67/kWh and INR 5.49/kWh, concluding that AgriPV is economically viable and offers lower levelized tariffs than non-DRE grid-connected projects. Key recommendations include mandating AgriPV under Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPO), defining it as a distinct renewable energy source, and adopting cost-plus tariff frameworks that account for elevated structures and farmer lease payments.

The report finds that Chhattisgarh remains deeply dependent on fossil fuels, with government subsidies for coal and oil and gas being four times higher than those for clean energy in FY 2024. While the state has a vision to reach 66% renewable energy by 2047, current public investment is dominated by thermal power expansion and electricity price supports. Energy revenues, which make up 22% of the state's total receipts, are primarily driven by oil and gas VAT and coal royalties, leaving the state vulnerable to the national energy transition.

The report examines how India can transition to cleaner EV charging by utilizing time-of-day (ToD) tariffs, green tariffs, rooftop solar, and open access. While states like Assam, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh use ToD tariffs to encourage charging during solar hours (10 AM to 4 PM), the prevalence of nighttime home charging and limited public charging infrastructure (approximately 26,367 stations) hinder effectiveness. Green tariffs are currently restricted to consumers with loads over 100 kW, and while rooftop solar is gaining traction in Delhi and Bengaluru, high deployment costs remain a barrier. Open access for renewable energy is available for operators with a 100 kW load, but high upfront and third-party charges limit its adoption.

India's electric vehicle (EV) market grew elevenfold between FY2020 and FY2025, driven by central and state government subsidies. The transport sector, particularly road transport, is a critical focus for India's goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2070. Key policy mechanisms include the FAME-I, FAME-II, and PM E-DRIVE schemes, alongside state-level policies in over 25 states.

The report argues that while India's shift to electric vehicles can reduce emissions by 33%-55% compared to internal combustion engines, full decarbonisation depends on increasing the share of clean electricity in the grid. It estimates that meeting the charging needs of the projected 2030 EV stock would require approximately 14 GW of dedicated wind and solar capacity. The analysis highlights significant regional disparities in the cleanliness of EV charging across 10 Indian states, with Karnataka leading in clean energy share and Uttar Pradesh, the largest market by volume, providing only 18.3% of charging electricity from clean resources.

The policy brief examines the introduction of solar-hour time of day (ToD) tariffs for Indian households starting April 1, 2025. It assesses how these tariffs, which offer rebates during solar generation hours and surcharges during peak hours, affect non-rooftop solar (non-RTS) and rooftop solar (RTS) consumers across several states. The analysis finds that while non-RTS consumers may see bill reductions of 1-4%, RTS consumers may face longer payback periods due to peak surcharges. The author emphasizes that successful implementation requires accelerated smart meter deployment and state-specific, seasonal tariff designs.

India's heavy industries—steel, cement, and aluminium—have a 20 GW profitable opportunity to integrate solar power today through green energy open access, potentially reducing annual emissions by 29 million tonnes. While sourcing 50% renewable energy (RE) is currently cost-effective without storage, achieving 24/7 RE is prohibitively expensive, costing up to 3.5 times the price of standard RE generation due to the massive battery storage and capacity oversizing required. The report highlights that steel offers the most immediate cost-saving potential, whereas aluminium remains heavily reliant on captive coal power, requiring stronger regulatory mandates to transition.

India achieved a record 34.7 GW of power capacity additions in 2024, driven largely by solar PV. However, the report finds that replicating this record annual deployment would leave India short of its 500 GW non-fossil capacity target by 2030. To close this gap, annual wind and solar additions must grow by approximately 15% year-on-year, effectively doubling current record levels by the end of the decade. While renewables are on track to overtake operating coal capacity in total volume within two years, fossil fuels still contributed over two-thirds of the increase in power generation in 2024.

Climate Central analysis indicates that human-caused climate change increased the likelihood of an intense heat event in western and northwestern India from May 18-20, 2024. Forecasts predict daily high temperatures 3°C to over 6°C above average, with some areas exceeding 47°C and nighttime lows remaining above 34°C. Approximately 543 million people in India are expected to experience at least one day with a Climate Shift Index (CSI) level of 3 or higher during this period.

The analysis finds that all regions of India experienced net warming in March and April since 1970, with the fastest March warming in Jammu and Kashmir. The probability of temperatures exceeding 40°C during late March has expanded from three states in the 1970s to nine states in 2024, with Bilaspur currently facing the highest risk at 31%.

The report estimates that an immediate low-carbon transition would result in a cumulative annual economic impact of INR 725.9 billion (USD 8.7 billion) for stakeholders in Jharkhand. The most significant losses are concentrated in the solid fossil fuel mining sector, which would see an annual impact of INR 608.3 billion, compared to INR 117.6 billion for the power generation sector. Key fiscal risks include a potential 5% decline in state revenue receipts and an erosion of 7% of the state's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) due to livelihood losses. The analysis highlights the vulnerability of indirect and contractual workers who lack the severance benefits available to direct employees. To mitigate these effects, the report recommends that state-owned enterprises diversify into green hydrogen, energy storage, and solar energy, while the state government develops a comprehensive Just Transition plan focusing on reskilling and social safety nets.