Renewable energy and low carbon economy transition in India
Abstract
Cooperation of large developing countries such as India would be important in
achieving a low carbon future, which can help in restricting the global temperature
rise to 2 °C. Global modeling studies of such low carbon scenarios point to a
prominent role for renewable energy. This paper reports scenarios for a low carbon
future in India. An integrated modeling framework is used for assessing the alternate
development pathways having equal cumulative CO2 emissions. The modeling
period ranges from 2005 to 2050. The first pathway assumes a conventional development
pattern together with a carbon price that aligns India’s emissions to an
optimal 450 ppmv CO2-eq. stabilization global response. The second emissions
pathway assumes an underlying sustainable development pattern. A low carbon
future will be good for renewable energy under both the development pathways,
though the share of renewable energy will be higher under a sustainable pathway.
Renewable energy faces competition from low carbon technologies like nuclear and
carbon capture and storage in the electricity sector. Solar, wind, biomass, and
biofuels emerge as the four competitive renewable energy choices for India. Renewable
development however depends critically on the reduction in the costs and
in the ability to integrate the intermittent renewables within the existing systems for
which technology transfer and capacity building hold the key.
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