India Urged to Create Energy Security Department as 4 GW of Solar Stays Stranded
Updated
Updated · The Indian Express · Jun 1
India Urged to Create Energy Security Department as 4 GW of Solar Stays Stranded
2 articles · Updated · The Indian Express · Jun 1
A proposal in India calls for a cabinet-ranked Department of Energy Resources and Security in the Prime Minister’s Office, or an Energy Responsibility and Security Act, to give one body executive oversight of energy policy.
The push follows the prime minister’s call for energy austerity as India faces high prices and supply uncertainty even after any Hormuz reopening, with depleted global fuel stocks, damage to eight Gulf refineries and disruption at Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG terminal.
The proposed department would coordinate petroleum, coal, power, renewables and nuclear policy, align investment across generation, transmission, storage and distribution, and act as an energy ombudsman and public communications hub.
A key example of the current silo problem is 4 GW of solar power stranded in Rajasthan because evacuation infrastructure is inadequate, underscoring the economic cost of fragmented decision-making.
The broader argument is that India’s energy system lacks any official who can see the whole picture, leaving small failures across ministries to compound into wider risks for energy security, competitiveness and decarbonisation.
As India bets on private nuclear power, can a new oversight body manage the immense safety risks alongside ambitious energy targets?
Can a new super-department fix India’s fragmented energy sector or just create more bureaucracy and political infighting?
With India planning an 'Energy Responsibility Act,' what new duties will fall upon ordinary citizens to achieve national self-reliance?
Stranded Solar: How Grid Inflexibility and Policy Gaps Threaten India’s Net Zero 2070 Ambitions
Overview
India has rapidly expanded its renewable energy capacity, especially solar, but much of this new capacity remains stranded or underutilized. This is mainly because the existing power system, which relies heavily on coal-fired plants, cannot quickly adjust to the rapid changes in grid load caused by solar energy. As a result, grid operators are forced to curtail renewable generation, even when it is available, leading to chronic underuse of assets and higher costs for both developers and consumers. The mismatch between fast renewable project commissioning and slower transmission upgrades further worsens the problem.