The government has set up a society under the Ministry of Power which will act as the top policy advocacy arm for the power and allied sectors and will assist states and businesses with cutting edge research as well as help create solutions and processes for India’s energy transition journey.

The Power Foundation is registered under the Societies Act, under the Power Ministry, by CPSEs such as NTPC, Powergrid, REC, PFC, NHPC, THDC, NEEPCO and SJVN. The Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister RK Singh is the Chair of the society. Former Power Secretary Sanjiv Nandan Sahai has been appointed as the Director General by a search-cum-selection committee.

Aid in energy transition

“The Power Foundation aims to be the foremost policy advocacy body, which would engage in national dialogues on power and allied sectors, providing authoritative analysis, data, policy recommendations and real world solutions to help states provide secure and sustainable energy for all and to create smooth pathways for India’s energy transition,” said the Power Ministry.

It also aims to undertake pioneering efforts in commissioning independent and evidence-based research studies, through credible institutions, on various aspects concerning energy transition in the power sector, and subsequently disseminate the gathered information through appropriate communication channels for creating awareness of the identified stakeholders, it added.

India is estimated to have an aggregate potential of more than 1,636 gigawatts (GW) renewable energy (including large hydro). The power generation through various renewable energy sources has increased from 203,925.77 million units (MU) in FY17 to 297,547.03 MU in FY21. Besides, India has seen record low RE tariffs of ₹1.99 per KWh for solar power and ₹2.43 per KWh for wind power.

This is a part of India’s transition to clean energy sources.

India is home to one of the world’s largest RE programmes, with a target of 175 gigawatts (GW) of installed RE capacity by 2022. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to increase the country’s RE capacity to 500 GW by 2030. The government also has pledged to increase the contribution of RE sources in the country’s power generation to more than 50 per cent by the end of this decade, as the world’s second largest power consumer pledged to become carbon neutral by 2070.

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