The Association of Renewable Energy Agencies of States (AREAS) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), in partnership with the Uttar Pradesh New & Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) and the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), organised a two-day national workshop aimed at accelerating India’s clean energy transition.

Representatives from over 25 Indian states, along with clean energy developers and civil society institutions, participated in the event, which focused on advancing renewable energy adoption, green financing, and capacity building.

On the first day, participants visited a compressed biogas plant in Barabanki and the National Thermal Power Corporation’s 40 MW solar power plant in Ayodhya. These field visits offered state delegates practical insights into operational practices and renewable energy management.

The second day of the workshop was inaugurated by Shri Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). “We need to recognise the transformative impact of renewable energy on India’s citizens,” he said. “Renewable energy is currently the most powerful tool to empower individuals to achieve self-sufficiency in electricity,” he added.

Shri Sarangi emphasised the importance of Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) in generating employment in rural areas. He urged states to strengthen their green skilling ecosystems, enabling local communities to participate across the renewable energy value chain. He also encouraged innovative green financing models to support decentralised energy solutions.

Highlighting the role of State Nodal Agencies (SNAs), Shri Sarangi suggested conducting SWOT analyses to reassess their strategies and align them with India’s evolving renewable energy landscape and national climate objectives.

The workshop featured several thematic sessions focused on accelerating renewable energy adoption, enhancing clean energy financing, and strengthening institutional capacities. A breakout session on DRE technologies enabled state representatives to discuss operational challenges, identify practical solutions, and design actionable steps for effective deployment, monitoring, and evaluation of decentralised energy projects.

The two-day workshop concluded with a shared commitment among policymakers, technologists, and community organisations to drive India’s clean energy transformation through collaboration, innovation, and inclusion.