In 2024, India emerged as the world’s third-largest producer of electricity from wind and solar energy, surpassing Germany, according to the latest ‘Global Electricity Review’ by Ember, a global energy think tank. Wind and solar together contributed 10 per cent of India's electricity generation, while globally, these sources accounted for 15 per cent of total power produced.

The report highlighted that low-carbon sources — including renewables and nuclear — supplied 40.9 per cent of global electricity in 2024, marking the first time since the 1940s that this threshold was crossed. In India, clean energy sources generated 22 per cent of the electricity, with hydropower contributing 8 per cent, and wind and solar making up 10 per cent.

India witnessed significant growth in solar energy, which alone accounted for 7 per cent of the country’s electricity, doubling its share since 2021. The nation added 24 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity in 2024 — more than twice the capacity added in 2023 — making it the third-largest solar market after China and the US. This expansion resulted in a 20 terawatt-hour (TWh) increase in solar electricity, the fourth-largest increase globally.

Globally, solar remained the leading source of new electricity generation for the third consecutive year, contributing 474 TWh, and continued to be the fastest-growing energy source for the 20th year in a row. In just three years, solar power's global share doubled to 6.9 per cent of electricity generation.

The Ember report also underlined the importance of accelerating clean energy deployment in India to meet growing electricity demand. India aims to derive 50 per cent of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030. It has also set an aspirational target of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by that year. However, reaching this goal will require a 20 per cent annual increase in funding.

News source: The Hindu

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