India steps up energy strategy as electricity demand set to triple

A Rocky Mountain Institute report reveals India’s energy ambition, with electricity demand potentially tripling by 2050, backed by an industrial policy focused on renewable energy.

Share:

India is positioning itself as a central player in the global energy reorganisation, according to a report published on May 26 by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). Titled Empowering India: The Clean Energy Growth Opportunity, the study highlights growth projections for the country, where electricity consumption could triple by 2050.

Energy priorities shaped by domestic growth

India’s industrial expansion and increasing demand for air conditioning, driven by global warming, are among the main contributors to this energy expansion. The report states that India will account for nearly half of global annual steel production growth, with vehicle travel tripling and the number of air conditioners multiplying by nine.

Unlike Western economies, the majority of India’s 2050 building stock has yet to be constructed. This allows the country to favour infrastructure designed for maximum efficiency from the outset.

A strategic shift in imports and production

The document highlights India’s current reliance on imported fossil fuels, which represents 5% of its gross domestic product. However, this constraint is rapidly changing with the development of local capacity in renewable energy. The country is moving towards self-sufficiency in manufacturing solar modules, wind turbines and battery cells.

The largest renewable energy project currently under construction in India is reported to be nearly four times the size of those in progress in Europe or the United States. These developments are supported by public policies encouraging domestic production and reducing energy costs.

An underleveraged investment opportunity

The study notes that solar electricity, including storage, has now become cheaper than new coal. Moreover, the cost of solar power alone is lower than that of existing coal plants, strengthening the economic argument for renewables.

Despite this, India currently receives only 4% of global clean energy investment. The report estimates that if capital flows matched local dynamics, the country could, by 2050, avoid more emissions than Europe and North America combined.

The New York Power Authority targets nearly 7GW of capacity with a plan featuring 20 renewable projects and 156 storage initiatives, marking a new phase for public investment in the State.
French Guiana plans to achieve a fully decarbonised power mix by 2027, driven by the construction of a biomass plant and expansion of renewable energy on its territory.
The progress of national targets for renewable energy remains marginal, with only a 2% increase since COP28, threatening the achievement of the tripling of capacity by 2030 and impacting energy security.
A Department of Energy report states that US actions on greenhouse gases would have a limited global impact, while highlighting a gap between perceptions and the economic realities of global warming.
Investments in renewable energy across the Middle East and North Africa are expected to reach USD59.9 bn by 2030, fuelled by national strategies, the rise of solar, green hydrogen, and new regional industrial projects.
Global electricity demand is projected to grow steadily through 2026, driven by industrial expansion, data centres, electric mobility and air conditioning, with increasing contributions from renewables, natural gas and nuclear power.
Kenya registers a historic record in electricity consumption, driven by industrial growth and a strong contribution from geothermal and hydropower plants operated by Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC.
Final energy consumption in the European industrial sector dropped by 5% in 2023, reaching a level not seen in three decades, with renewables taking a growing role in certain key segments.
Réseau de transport d’électricité is planning a long-term modernisation of its infrastructure. A national public debate will begin on September 4 to address implementation methods, challenges and conditions.
The Spanish Parliament has rejected a package of reforms aimed at preventing another major power outage, plunging the national energy sector into uncertainty and revealing the fragility of the government's majority.
The U.S. government has supported Argentina’s request for a temporary suspension of an order to hand over its stake in YPF, a 16.1 billion USD judgment aimed at satisfying creditors.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency extends compliance deadlines for coal-fired power plant operators regarding groundwater monitoring and the closure of waste ponds.
Eskom aims to accelerate its energy transition through a new dedicated unit, despite a USD22.03bn debt and tariff uncertainties slowing investment.
Several major U.S. corporations announce investments totaling nearly USD 90 billion to strengthen energy infrastructure in Pennsylvania, aimed at powering data centers vital to the rapid growth of the artificial intelligence sector.
Nearly USD92bn will be invested by major American and international groups in new data centres and energy infrastructure, responding to the surge in electricity demand linked to the rise of artificial intelligence.
Nouakchott has endured lengthy power interruptions for several weeks, highlighting the financial and technical limits of the Mauritanian Electricity Company as Mauritania aims to widen access and green its mix by 2030.
Between 2015 and 2024, four multilateral climate funds committed nearly eight bn USD to clean energy, attracting private capital through concessional terms while Africa and Asia absorbed more than half of the volume.
The Global Energy Policies Hub shows that strategic reserves, gas obligations, cybersecurity and critical-mineral policies are expanding rapidly, lifting oil coverage to 98 % of world imports.
According to a report by Ember, the Chinese government’s appliance trade-in campaign could double residential air-conditioner efficiency gains in 2025 and trim up to USD943mn from household electricity spending this year.
Washington is examining sectoral taxes on polysilicon and drones, two supply chains dominated by China, after triggering Section 232 to measure industrial dependency risks.