Op Ed: India needs to urgently decarbonize its power sector. Here’s how it can succeed
India has always been a country of dichotomies.
It is the world’s most populous nation, fifth biggest economy and home to the highest number of billionaires after China and the U.S. It is a world leader in digital finance, thanks to the creation of digital public infrastructure, and is the world’s third-largest start-up hub.
Yet it remains a lower-middle-income economy, with a large share of the population classified as low-income or poor, and is a highly unequal society.
India’s climate narrative is, similarly, marked by contradictions.
While its contribution to world cumulative emissions is negligible — India accounts for approximately 4% of the global stock of emissions in the atmosphere — and it is one of the lowest emitters on a per-capita basis, India is already the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gasses on an annual basis, and is, worryingly, home to 12 of the world’s 15 most polluted cities.
The NLC Tamil Nadu Power power plant, right, and Tuticorin Thermal Power Station, left, in Tuticorin, India.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
With India forecast to be the world’s fastest-growing large economy and biggest oil consumer over the coming years, if it does not take action fast, emissions will only continue to rise.
‘Greening’ of the power sector
India needs to act not only for the world to achieve the Paris Agreement ambitions, but also for its own survival.
More than 75% of Indian districts are at risk of extreme weather and it is already seeing fiercer cyclones, greater incidences of drought and flooding and more heatwaves. While these climatic changes will impact worker productivity and economic output in aggregate, they will disproportionately impact vulnerable communities and farmers — 60% of which are monsoon-dependent.
While India needs to decarbonize its entire economy, achieving its target of net-zero emissions by 2070 arguably hinges on the “greening” of its power sector.
With a 34% share, India’s power industry constitutes the single biggest source of emissions in India, and its grid ranks as the fourth most carbon-intensive in the world. Coal still accounts for almost 50% of installed power capacity, and more than 70% of power generation.
With greater power demand expected from consumers, as well as existing and emerging areas of industry, in the near future, and the ongoing electrification of the economy also putting greater pressure on the grid, emissions from power will continue to rise if left unabated.
A farmer works in his vegetable field in Jharia city, Dhanbad district, Jharkhand state.
Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images
In recognition of the imperative to decarbonize power as a means to drive the whole-economy emissions transition, the government has outlined impressive clean energy targets: achieving a 50% share of renewables in power capacity by 2030 and energy independence by 2047.
India has made impressive strides toward these goals. As a result of significant private sector investment, India now ranks fourth of all countries globally on installed solar and wind power capacity and its addition of renewable power capacity has been particularly strong in recent years.
Unfortunately, this simply isn’t enough. To truly decarbonize its energy sector, India needs to act on three fronts.
1. Integrating renewable energy into the grid
Apart from greater renewable capacity installation — for context, India’s additions in 2024 represented only 8% of China’s — India needs to find ways to integrate greater amounts of renewable energy into its grid, a challenge that countries globally are grappling with, while continuing to invest in baseload (or round-the-clock readily available) power.
To do this, India needs to invest more in battery storage infrastructure — including via pumped hydro storage, new and innovative battery energy storage systems, and also green hydrogen.
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Indeed, the inability to transmit renewable energy into the grid when it is generated in surplus (for example, solar during summer months in south-western states) often leads to curtailment, or the intentional offloading of power production, as the lack of storage capacity prevents its use in power-scarce states.
Digitalization of the grid will also be key to integrating renewables. Emerging digital technologies can enable power operators to access information from renewable energy assets and consumers in real time, allowing them to operate intelligent load-dispatching systems based on current supply and demand.
In order to have a tangible impact on renewable power integration, grid digitalization will need to take place concurrently with electricity market reform.
Currently, India’s state electricity distribution companies, or DISCOMs, have limited flexibility in incorporating renewables as per availability and demand as they are locked into long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs).
Plans for what’s known as a Market-Based Economic Dispatch System, which would centralize power purchase and dispatch across the country on a real-time basis, will enable India to transition from relatively inflexible locked-in power agreements with thermal power producers to lowest-cost (including renewable) generation.
Solar panels at the Bhadla Solar Park in Bhadla, in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan.
Sajjad Hussain | Afp | Getty Images
A digital energy grid overlaid with centralized power purchase and dispatch will improve efficiency in power trading, and also likely lead to lower power prices.
While this transition takes place, greater flexibility is needed at India’s coal power plants to ensure a steady baseload supply of power, while more investment in nuclear is needed to guarantee future energy security. Reassuringly, India has already outlined plans for both.
2. Improving energy efficiency
The second front constitutes a greater focus on enhancing energy efficiency, both on the demand and supply side.
On the demand side, smart appliances, buildings, and meters, coupled with time-of-day tariffs, can enable better demand optimization. On the supply side, meanwhile, the professionalization of state distribution companies via arrangements with private operators can be instrumental in reducing transmission losses.
India sees heavy losses in power transmission across most states as infrastructure remains outdated, while leakages and theft are rampant.
Indian residential and agricultural consumers have long thought of electricity as a free public good, and for good reason. India’s DISCOMs heavily subsidize power to these two segments.
Professionalization of power distribution can help lower these subsidies and reduce wastage. States that have professionalized distribution have indeed shown a significant reduction in transmission and distribution losses. In a power-hungry — power demand is expected to quadruple by 2050 — and historically power-scarce country, there is no room for waste.
3. Decentralized energy solutions
The third front constitutes the greater installation and use of decentralized renewable energy (DRE) solutions, including rooftop solar and microgrids.
This will enable India to meet the dual goals of both improving power access for India’s remote and marginalized communities, as well as greening its power supply.
Progress on the installation of rooftop solar has been slow so far, impeded by a lack of affordability, consumer awareness and trained personnel, with only around 16 gigawatts installed versus a target of 40 gigawatts.
Microgrids, meanwhile, remain commercially unviable, and more impact — non-commercially minded — capital will be required to get such initiatives off the ground. Hearteningly, recent government initiatives signal progress on decentralized renewable energy, and this installation will be important in lowering grid load and emissions.
Where the funding could come from
All three prongs of India’s energy sector transition will require funding. According to expert estimates, India needs to spend around $100 billion per year, or 2.8% of current nominal GDP, to achieve net-zero power sector emissions by 2070.
With various imminent and urgent competing demands on the country’s budget, public finance will simply not be enough.
India will need to attract greater amounts of philanthropic, foreign, and private capital, as well as develop creative financing structures, to meet its net-zero target.
Each of these capital sources has a specific role to play.
Residential properties stand illuminated at night on hillsides in Gangtok, Sikkim, India.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
While philanthropic capital can help in seed funding unproven new technologies ― for example, new battery technologies, nuclear, and green hydrogen ― greater foreign and domestic public capital can play a role in de-risking investments that so far generate lower-than-market returns (for example, microgrids). Finally, more private capital can help finance already commercially viable opportunities, including power distribution and renewables.
The good news is this: India’s mammoth endeavor to transition its power sector paves the way for significant growth across multiple sunrise sectors.
It opens up tremendous opportunities for investment and entrepreneurship across renewables and decentralized energy solutions, emerging technologies in battery storage, nuclear, green fuels, various segments of energy efficiency and in software/ digital capabilities.
India’s clean-tech ecosystem is already emerging, and energy-related enterprises, including those operating in renewables and energy efficiency, directly account for 70% of all green startups in the country.
As the transition ensues, more capital will be needed. With rising incidents of heatwaves crippling productivity whilst raising grid load across the country, and India simultaneously positioning itself as a global data center hub, there is no time to lose — the call for greater green and transition finance is now.
Nissan has officially confirmed the icon will be making a comeback. Although Nissan is no longer building GT-R models, CEO Ivan Espinosa said Godzilla will “evolve and reemerge” in the future. Here’s what we know so far.
Nissan confirms the GT-R will evolve and reemerge
It seems like we’ve been talking about the next-gen Nissan GT-R for years now. After the last model rolled off the production line at the automaker’s Tochigi plant in Japan on Tuesday, Nissan’s CEO made it clear that the GT-R will be making a comeback.
After bidding farewell to the R35, Espinosa gave the many GT-R fans worldwide hope, saying, “I want to tell you this isn’t a goodbye to the GT-R forever.”
He added that it’s Nissan’s “goal for the GT-R nameplate to one day make a return.” Although this is the end of the line for the R35, the company remains committed to the GT-R nameplate and wants to “reimagine it for a new generation.”
According to Espinosa, Nissan doesn’t have any finalized plans yet, but he promised that “the GT-R will evolve and reemerge in the future.”
Nissan says the next Godzilla will ensure the GT-R’s legacy lives on, but will pack even more performance. The big question is, what type of powertrain will it arrive with? Will it be electric? A hybrid? Or, will it still be gas-powered?
At the New York Auto Show in April, Ponz Pandikuthira, Senior Vice President and Chief Planning Officer for Nissan North America, told The Drive that the next GT-R will be a hybrid, rather than an all-electric.
However, Nissan previewed an electric GT-R a few years ago with the Hyper Force EV concept. The electric sports car concept was promoted as a “game-changing hyper EV” with over 1,300 horsepower (1,000 kW).
All that power is expected to come from solid-state batteries. Just last week, Nissan secured a partnership with LiCAP Technologies to produce all-solid-state EV batteries on a mass scale, one of the biggest hurdles to getting the new technology to market.
Since Nissan aims to launch its first EV powered by solid-state batteries in 2028, we could see the GT-R reemerge as a plug-in hybrid until the technology is ready.
Either way, it will likely be a few years before we see an electrified Godzilla. If it evolves into an EV or hybrid, it remains up in the air for now.
While Nissan says an all-electric GT-R won’t deliver the performance needed to live up to the nameplate, others are proving otherwise. BYD’s first electric supercar, the Yangwang U9, set a new EV speed record this week after hitting nearly 300 mph.
How do you feel about it? Should the GT-R go all-electric? Or will Nissan settle for a hybrid? Drop us a comment below and let us know which one you’d buy.
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Is Toyota’s new 2026 C-HR the affordable electric SUV we’ve been waiting for? The revamped EV SUV was spotted with a stylish new look while filming a commercial.
Toyota’s new C-HR EV SUV is launching in 2026
Toyota’s compact crossover SUV is returning in all-electric form, and it’s already apparently a movie star. We got our first look at the 2026 C-HR+ in March after Toyota unveiled a trio of new electric SUVs set to launch in Europe.
The US model, revealed a few months later, looks nearly identical to the EU version, but drops the “+” at the end of the name.
You can see right off the bat that it’s an immediate upgrade from the gas-powered C-HR, which was discontinued in 2022 in favor of the more efficient Corolla Cross Hybrid.
The new 2026 C-HR looks sharp, featuring Toyota’s updated design, with elements like its “hammerhead front end” borrowed from the new Crown and Corolla models. In a way, it almost looks like the Prius, but as a higher-riding crossover SUV.
It looks like Toyota’s new EV SUV is already drawing attention. The 2026 C-HR was spotted on set in Austin, Texas, filming a commercial.
The image from Kindelauto is one of the closest looks at the new electric SUV so far, revealing the new front-end design.
At 177.9″ long, 73.6″ wide, and 63.8″ tall, the new C-HR is smaller than bZ, Toyota’s other electric SUV (formerly known as the bZ4X). It’s about the size of the Kia Niro EV (174″ long, 72″ wide, and 62″ tall).
The new crossover SUV will be available with all-electric (EV), Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), and Fuel Cell powertrains.
Powered by a 74.7 kWh battery, Toyota anticipates the 2026 C-HR EV will offer a range of up to 290 miles. It will come with standard AWD with an electric motor at the front and rear eAxles.
It will also feature a built-in NACS port, enabling you to recharge at Tesla Superchargers. Toyota said the electric SUV can recharge from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes.
Inside, the updated SUV includes a “high-tech cabin that is stylish and functional.” A 14″ infotainment system sits at the center with Toyota’s Audio Multimedia System and Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support.
Toyota’s new EV SUV will begin arriving at dealerships in 2026. Although prices have yet to be revealed, given the outgoing model started at under $25,000, the electric version is expected to launch with a low starting price tag of around $30,000.
Last week, we learned the 2026 Toyota bZ will be one of the few EVs in the US with prices starting under $35,000. Since the C-HR is smaller, it could be even more affordable.
What do you think of the new C-HR? Do you like Toyota’s new style? Drop us a comment below and let us know your thoughts.
Source: Kindelauto
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Tesla rejected a $60 million settlement offer in the Autopilot wrongful death case which resulted in a $243 million verdict against the company, according to new legal documents.
It’s a rare example of Tesla sticking to its promise not to settle cases it thinks are unjust, and it may end up biting the company right in the pocketbook.
To catch up, the case in question is the $243 million Autopilot wrongful death case which concluded early this month. It was the first actual verdict against the company in an Autopilot wrongful death case – not counting previous settlements.
The case centered around a 2019 crash of a Model S in Florida, where the driver dropped his phone and while he was picking it up, the Model S drove through a stop sign at a T-intersection, crashing into a parked Chevy Tahoe which then struck two pedestrians, killing one and seriously injuring the other.
Tesla was also caught withholding data in the case, which is not a good look.
In the end, for the purposes of compensatory damages, the driver was found 67% responsible and Tesla was found 33% responsible. But Tesla was also slapped with $200 million in punitive damages. The plaintiffs reached a settlement with the driver separately.
Tesla plans to appeal the case, and we’re sure it will exhaust every possibility. It may or may not turn out in the company’s favor, which we’ll stay tuned for.
But today, new information came out that Tesla previously declined a $60 million settlement in the case – which, if the verdict holds, will have ended up costing the company an extra $183 million.
Tesla did not accept the settlement, and instead countered with one which included a lower amount, and also a non-disclosure agreement. The plaintiffs did not accept this counter-offer.
Today’s news came as part of a filing from plaintiffs’ attorneys requesting Tesla pay plaintiffs’ accrued legal fees since May 30, the day the settlement was proposed, which they say Florida law entitles them to.
This means denying the settlement could also cost the plaintiffs’ legal fees from continuing to fight the case, and the costs of any subsequent court appeals. Plus the setting of a legal precedent which could have been avoided through settlement.
It’s a somewhat rare example of Tesla sticking to a promise that it made years ago. Tesla CEO Elon Musk once said that the company will never settle an unjust case against it.
He said this while trying to recruit a “hardcore litigation department,” a phrase that Musk has used multiple times over Tesla’s history.
However, as mentioned above, this is a somewhat rare example of Tesla sticking to those words. Despite Musk being clear about this commitment, Tesla has settled a number of cases in the years since.
The company settled the wrongful death cases for Walter Huang and Clyde Leach, a case over excessive compensation for Tesla’s board, a UK case over false self-driving claims, and a case over solar roof pricing (which is a story that we at Electrek originally broke) – suggesting either that Tesla found those cases “just,” or that the commitment above was perhaps not as sweeping as Musk portrayed it to be.
Electrek’s Take
The commitment above is an admirable goal, suggesting a forthrightness that is rare in business and law. It’s just too bad that it’s not real, and that Musk was just running his mouth (or, fingers) when he said it.
Besides, a company seeking forthrightness in legal matters wouldn’t hide evidence, which Tesla did in this case.
More realistically… Tesla’s settlements aren’t an admission of the “justness” of the cases against it, but instead are just examples of standard legal maneuvering by a business.
Tesla has likely settled in previous cases to avoid a legal precedent that would allow future cases to be decided against it using the framework of a previous case. This is a common move for businesses, and is often the monetarily correct one, particularly if they see a reasonable chance of a verdict against them.
In this case, Tesla perhaps didn’t think there was a reasonable chance of a verdict against it, or perhaps it was relying on the hundreds of millions in bribes its CEO gave to an openly corrupt political candidate, hoping that would make its legal problems go away.
Incidentally, the date the settlement was proposed was May 30, less than a week before the famous falling out between Musk and the corrupt candidate in question. Although Tesla would have had 30 days to accept the settlement, which it did not do, even after the public breakup. So perhaps the theory of hoping for corruption is a little too conspiratorial here.
Declining the settlement in this case could suggest that Tesla finds this to be an “unjust” case, and that it wanted to continue to fight said case on moral grounds.
Or it could just be the standard calculation of the likely cost of the result of the case, multiplied by the probability that Tesla sees of the case succeeding. And have nothing to do with Musk’s high-minded tweet which the company has repeatedly shown itself not to be beholden to.
Either way, continuing with appeals is the expected move from here on out. Tesla has the cash to keep fighting this, and so it will do so, especially if it sees any chance of succeeding.
But if it continues to go poorly for the company, that could not only cost it $183 million more than the settlement would have, but also set a potentially costly legal precedent for any future wrongful death cases. And the lawyer involved in this case, Brett Schreiber, says he’s ready for round two.
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