Parts of the theory of disruption - specifically that an entity with less entrenched structures, can solve problems in more efficient ways - applies to nation states as well.<p>When 25% of your country has no electricity at all, you get to imagine parts of your grid from the ground up. If there's an expectation of load-shedding and your grid doesn't have to be at a 100% in all places, you have room to make mistakes. Most importantly, if the renewables aren't replacing but rather adding to your energy generation capacity, you don't have to fight entrenched fossil fuel businesses and associated regulatory capture to get started.<p>In many ways it's similar to how telephony spread in the developing world. They skipped landlines entirely and went straight to GSM.<p>I'm terribly excited about renewables in parts of Africa and the rural areas in South Asia. My family is originally from Bangladesh. The local grid is so unreliable in rural areas and Chinese solar equipment so cheap that most of my family members who live in villages just bought a solar installation instead of waiting around for the utilities to run wiring.
Ha! Try telling this to the current Australian government...<p>The current narrative is that India desperately needs coal and our coal is the cleanest, so we need to dig it up [1] and sell it to them to help fight climate change, because otherwise they're going to get 'dirtier' coal from somewhere else. If you disagree, then you believe that Indians don't deserve electricity.<p>And this isn't a strawman, this is almost verbatim what's being said in Parliament. The cognitive dissonance with our current PM is strong.<p>[1] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmichael_coal_mine" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmichael_coal_mine</a>
I am a young Indian. I have a dream . The dream that we are running electric vehicles. We have banned plastic everywhere. We have stopped burning our garbage. We have improved air quality. I think we can start with auto-rikshaws and public transport. Auto rickshaw constitute to a lot of traffic and pollution in the cities. We could replace them with smart electric ones. They move around only in cities so it won't be a big problem to build charging infrastructure. Then we could replace buses and increase their number. Ofcourse we need a lot of subsidies and incentives to make it happen. But it is POSSIBLE. but I need to build billion dollars companies ,sell them . Then use all that money to build this dream. I think someone did something like this in USA right? ;)
India is doing pretty well in green energy on the whole! India has the 4th largest energy generator from wind in the world. India has the largest solar power plant in the world (Kamuthi in Tamil Nadu). I at least hope that India is not inclined to return to coal with the US's exit from the Paris accord.<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power_by_country" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power_by_country</a>
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/12/02/india-solar-power-plant_n_13352756.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/12/02/india-solar-power-pl...</a>
One of the interesting segments was a feature made by a bearded David Letterman in Nov 2016 - around the problems with solar panel rooftops in the USA and the success these have in India.<p><a href="https://youtu.be/bW_eGAwnfeI" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/bW_eGAwnfeI</a><p>The point it tries to make is that - the demand exists, the challenge is the govt and the policy makers.<p>One other point made in the same video is at the end by Prime Minister Modi - we need tech transfer from the US. Solar and nuclear . India is probably the only non-NPT country to be authorised by the US Congress for civilian nuclear technology sale.<p>But all bets are off now. One does not know how the current regime will operate due the "coal is best" rhetoric.<p>Of course, Tesla might still move to India given the repartee between Anand Mahindra (of Mahindra motors) and Elon Musk yesterday!<p><a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/870570686409920512" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/870570686409920512</a>
Last I checked, the reason India's coal power plants were running at 60% was not because of lack of demand, but because fixed prices make it uneconomical to produce coal and the government monopoly Coal India is utterly incompetent and inefficient even by Indian government standards...
Yeah unless India influences corrupt politicians of neighboring countries to make coal based power plants in neighbouring countries and imports electricity from those plants. Search "Rampal Power Plant", "greatest mangrove forest of the planet" etc. Also please see: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/07/18/a-new-power-plant-could-devastate-the-worlds-largest-mangrove-forest/" rel="nofollow">https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/20...</a>
One thing I learned on a trip to Kerala is that most people in the region actually burn their garbage - the government doesn't provide disposal service. While I'm sure the particulate and chemical emissions of this practice are awful, I'm curious about this carbon implications.
Anyone know more about India's nuclear story? At one time they were focusing on thorium. I wonder what we could do to spur on a little more competition with China.<p><a href="http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/plans-for-new-reactors-worldwide.aspx" rel="nofollow">http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and...</a>
I wonder why NYT conveniently chose to ignore the previous US administration's WTO complaint on India's local component requirements for solar panels and it's subsequent verdict against India.<p>India required US solar panel manufacturers to source cells from locally, which was challenged by US in WTO and subsequently awarded in it's favour. So it's not just India is moving forward with green energy in spite of 'unfair-share' in global climate policies but also moving against the hurdles imposed specifically targeting it's green energy movements.
As an Indian, I'm really proud to read this. I'm hoping that they strategize this well and execute it well. India can easily harness wind and solar energy, create an really strong energy surplus and supply it to neighboring countries.<p>The whole region can benefit. India can be a beacon of peace and use it to stabilize the region and become a leader.
I know this is completely beyond the topic, and only relevant in regards to the website, but, as someone who has been convulsively clicking text while reading articles his whole life, this site design is absolute garbage. When i double click text I do not expect the site to interact. Double click in my world is known for highlighting. Not increasing font size. Sorry, end rant.
Can you unilaterally walk out of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Militarisation_of_space" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Militarisation_of_space</a>
Certainly not just India, the switch is nearly universal. Some countries are getting a faster start ditching big polluting coal plants than others. Three closed yesterday in the US, for instance.
India, "still a coal Goliath" is a better description. They burn a massive amount of coal compared to most countries.<p>They've just scaled slightly back on a massive coal consumption plan they implemented in the last few years. Nice, but hardly worth any recognition in the shadow of the damage they have already done.
After watching this talk show with Alex Epstein I've realized the word 'green' is largely bs.<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zw-1ohbRDrE" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zw-1ohbRDrE</a><p>Green doesn't automatically mean better, and dirty does not mean coal and fossil fuels. It is how the technology is used. He argues alternative energy leads to deforestation, destruction of habitats, and deaths from vegetable oil which otherwise could be used to prevent some starvation.If you accept these things then alternative energy becomes extremely selfish by putting the burden out of your cities.<p>It's a good interview I hope you guys check it out.