Coronavirus lockdown speeds India’s shift from coal to solar power

(Climate Change News, 7 May 2020) Travel restrictions to halt the spread of coronavirus are speeding the switch from coal to renewable energy in India.

The world’s second largest coal consumer has seen its energy demand collapse by nearly 30% during the lockdown which started on 25 March, with coal generators bearing the brunt.

In 2018, the International Energy Agency forecast Indian coal demand would more than double by 2040 – a major challenge to international efforts to prevent climate breakdown.

With the right policy framework in place, coal generation in India could peak much sooner, analysts have told Climate Home News.

“I think we will see the peak in coal use for power generation this decade,” said Tim Buckley, director of energy finance studies for the Australia and South Asia region at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (Ieefa).

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Climate Change News, 7 May 2020: Coronavirus lockdown speeds India’s shift from coal to solar power