India May Stop Building New Coal Power Plants
The plan, if approved, would mark a shift from the ministry’s earlier stance to build coal-fired plants.
(Bloomberg) -- India is considering a new policy to stop adding new coal-fired power plants while it works out a plan to meet its emissions and net zero commitments made at COP26 last month, the Economic Times reported, citing people familiar with the move.
A committee tasked by the Power Ministry to update India’s National Electricity Policy has recommended that no new coal-based capacity be considered for construction, the newspaper reported. The committee also recommended old coal-based units should only be replaced when it is not viable to meet the projected demand from non-fossil fuel sources, the paper said.
The plan, if approved, would mark a shift from the ministry’s earlier stance to build coal-fired plants. News of the plan comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi set targets last month for India to aim for net-zero emissions by 2070 and to attain 500 gigagwatts of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030.
Coal currently contributes about half of India’s electricity generation.
A Power Ministry spokeswoman didn’t immediately respond to a call and text messaging seeking comment.
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