New coal plants may be asked to have mandatory renewable power generation

Power Ministry proposes changes to policy to meet country's climate goal of 50% green electricity by 2030

In what could pave the way for boosting renewable energy generation capacity in India, the power ministry plans to make it mandatory for thermal power producers to build or purchase renewable energy if they set up anew or expand coal-based power generation.

The ministry has proposed amendments to the Tariff Policy 2016 to include the provision of ‘renewable generation obligation’ (RGO). It has proposed that after April 2024 any new thermal power capacity would need to build or procure a similar quantum of renewable energy. It also has proposed an alternative where the Centre will prescribe the quantum of renewable