{"id":343964,"date":"2025-08-04T20:59:18","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T15:29:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=343964"},"modified":"2025-08-17T13:39:16","modified_gmt":"2025-08-17T08:09:16","slug":"india-must-simplify-regulations-to-boost-renewable-energy-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/india-must-simplify-regulations-to-boost-renewable-energy-growth\/","title":{"rendered":"India must simplify regulations to boost renewable energy growth"},"content":{"rendered":"

Source<\/strong>: The post India must simplify regulations to boost renewable energy growth has been created, based on the article \u201cFor energy security, a redesign<\/strong>\u201d published in \u201cIndian Express<\/strong>\u201d on 4th August 2025. India must simplify regulations to boost renewable energy growth.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"India<\/p>\n

UPSC Syllabus Topic:<\/strong> GS Paper <\/strong>3-<\/strong>Infrastructure- energy<\/p>\n

Context<\/strong>: India\u2019s energy security, once focused solely on fossil fuel access and affordability, now demands a broader approach. The country is navigating a dual-track transition\u2014balancing fossil fuel dependency with its renewable energy ambitions\u2014while targeting net zero carbon emissions by 2070.<\/p>\n

For detailed information on India<\/strong>\u2019<\/strong>s Energy Strategy<\/strong> read this article here<\/a><\/p>\n

India<\/strong>\u2019<\/strong>s Traditional Energy Strategy<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Diversified Oil Imports:<\/strong> India has diversified its crude oil import sources. It notably resisted Western pressure by importing more Russian oil, reducing costs despite global crises like the Ukraine war and Gaza conflict.<\/li>\n
  2. Managing Fossil Fuel Demand: <\/strong>By focusing on demand management and energy efficiency, India has reduced the intensity of fossil fuel use per unit of GDP, improving overall energy sustainability.<\/li>\n
  3. Cost Benefits of Russian Crude: <\/strong>Between 2021\u201322 and 2024\u201325, Russian crude oil\u2019s share grew from 2.1% to 35.1%, lowering the average import cost by at least $2 per barrel.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Progress and Challenges in Renewable Energy<\/strong><\/h2>\n
      \n
    1. Rapid Capacity Expansion: <\/strong>India\u2019s renewable energy capacity rose impressively from 19% to 49% of total electricity capacity (234 GW) in just five years. However, growth has recently slowed.<\/li>\n
    2. Transmission and Distribution Gaps: <\/strong>While generation has surged, the development of supporting infrastructure\u2014like interstate transmission, storage systems, and distribution networks\u2014lags behind.<\/li>\n
    3. The <\/strong>\u201c<\/strong>Usable<\/strong>\u201d Capacity Challenge:<\/strong> Generation capacity is not enough. Usability requires seamless grid integration, balanced distribution, and clear standards\u2014highlighted by Spain\u2019s blackout caused by interconnectivity faults.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Regulatory Hurdles and Compliance Burden<\/strong><\/h2>\n
        \n
      1. Excessive Compliance Requirements:<\/strong> A TeamLease RegTech study cited by economist Swaminathan Aiyar notes 2,735 compliance obligations across 35 governments and 30 departments. Many relate to labour, land, environment, and safety.<\/li>\n
      2. Manual Processes and Bureaucratic Delays: <\/strong>Sixty percent of compliance requires manual form-filling and physical visits. Even a 1 MW solar plant may need over 100 clearances with frequent inspections, renewals, and certifications.<\/li>\n
      3. Comparison with Past Experiences: <\/strong>A past Shell fuel retail project in Mumbai needed 58 approvals and took 12 months\u2014highlighting persistent red tape. Such delays risk derailing India\u2019s 2035 target of 500 GW usable renewable energy.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Structural Advantages of Renewable Sources<\/strong><\/h2>\n
          \n
        1. Unlimited Natural Inputs: <\/strong>Unlike fossil fuels tied to geology, renewable resources like sun and wind are abundant and accessible without structural constraints.<\/li>\n
        2. Viable Technology and Investor Interest:<\/strong> Solar and wind technologies are mature and economically viable, with strong investor interest. Regulatory streamlining is the main barrier to scaling up.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Need for Systemic Regulatory Reform<\/strong><\/h2>\n
            \n
          1. Fragmented Authority and Lack of Accountability:<\/strong> Multiple agencies and regulators operate without a central executive authority, leading to inefficiency and lack of coherence in the sector.<\/li>\n
          2. Scope for Rationalisation<\/strong>: <\/strong>The government can consolidate oversight, standardise technical norms, ease land acquisition, digitise processes, and improve transparency in tariffs and dispute resolution.<\/li>\n
          3. Overcoming Vested Interests: <\/strong>While legacy interests pose challenges, determined political will can drive the simplification needed for energy self-reliance and sustainable growth.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Question for practice:<\/strong><\/p>\n

            Discuss how regulatory complexities are affecting the growth of renewable energy in India.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Source: The post India must simplify regulations to boost renewable energy growth has been created, based on the article \u201cFor energy security, a redesign\u201d published in \u201cIndian Express\u201d on 4th August 2025. India must simplify regulations to boost renewable energy growth. UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 3-Infrastructure- energy Context: India\u2019s energy security, once focused solely… Continue reading India must simplify regulations to boost renewable energy growth<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10320,"featured_media":344632,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1230],"tags":[216,10500,8684],"class_list":["post-343964","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-9-pm-daily-articles","tag-gs-paper-3","tag-indian-express","tag-infrastructure-energy","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/India-must-simplify-regulations-to-boost-renewable-energy-growth.png?fit=1280%2C850&ssl=1","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/343964","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10320"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=343964"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/343964\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/344632"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=343964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=343964"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=343964"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}