Coal free by 2070? India’s push toward renewables won’t stop coal reliance for the next two decades
A worker pushes his bicycle under a line of cable trolleys transporting coal in Uttar Pradesh, India, on Nov. 19, 2021.
Money Sharma | Afp | Getty Images
There’s little doubt that India has made progress in its transition to renewable energy.
The country’s leaders have been optimistic about its path to net zero, making bold claims that 50% of its power generation will come from renewables by 2030, and 100% by 2070.
However, coal production continues to soar and reliance on the fossil fuel won’t end any time soon as India struggles to find other ways to cool homes down and keep the lights on.
“India will not be able to survive completely without coal and there is no alternative for India in the coming 10 to 20 years,” said Anil Kumar Jha, former chairman and managing director of Coal India — the world’s largest coal producer.
“If you are hungry and don’t have cake to eat, will you eat bread or die hungry? That is presently what India is doing,” Jha told CNBC. “We don’t have an alternative to generate that amount of electricity, and will have to depend on coal.”
Fossil fuels, mainly coal, continue to make up 75% of India’s power supply, making it “the only fuel that India has in relative abundance,” said Neshwin Rodrigues, electricity policy analyst at Ember, a global energy think tank.
A man rides a motorcycle along a road past the National Thermal Power Corporation plant in Dadri on April 6, 2022.
Prakash Singh | Afp | Getty Images
Effects from climate change have triggered more than 700 heat waves in India over the past five decades, driving up electricity demand as more households purchase air conditioners.
“India is presently witnessing a rapid surge in electricity demand, driven by the electrification of numerous households, the burgeoning economy, and the increasing adoption of electric vehicles, infrastructure development, and cooling systems,” said Sooraj Narayan, Wood Mackenzie’s senior research analyst of power and renewables in Asia Pacific.
“This heightened power demand necessitates a reliable, cost-effective, and consistent power generation source, which coal currently fulfills,” he highlighted.
Whether we like it or not, coal will continue to have a role to play in India.
Sooraj Narayan
Wood Mackenzie
Data from the International Energy Agency showed that electricity consumption in India from air conditioners increased by 21% between 2019 and 2022.
Nearly 10% of the country’s electricity demand comes from space cooling and this will increase ninefold by 2050, the IEA said.
Simultaneously, India’s coal consumption has rapidly increased.
The country’s coal production rose to 893 million tons in 2022 to 2023, a 14% growth from 778 million tons in 2021 to 2022, according to data from the Ministry of Coal.
Jha estimated coal production could reach 1,335 million tons in 2031 to 2032.
This raises the question about whether India will be able to reach its 2030 target of achieving 50% of its energy requirements from non-fossil fuel sources. As of now, energy analysts don’t think it’s achievable.
“Coal remains a reliable fallback option for India to ensure consistent and dependable power generation, especially as it strives to meet the demands of a rapidly growing population and economy,” Narayan pointed out.
This could be the norm for India until after 2030 — when coal demand is expected to peak, according to Sumant Sinha, founder of Indian renewable energy firm ReNew Power.
“What we cannot afford as a country is essentially to shortchange our growth on account of a lack of power capabilities. Whether we like it or not, coal will continue to have a role to play in India,” Sinha told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” on last week.
Unreliable renewables
Despite being able to produce cheap wind and solar energy, only 22% of India’s power generation is met by renewables.
All the analysts who spoke to CNBC agreed the country’s solar, wind and hydro energy capabilities are still unreliable as they are dependent on weather conditions and the climate.
“Renewable sources like solar and wind are inherently variable, relying on natural factors such as sunlight, wind and water availability. This variability makes them less dependable for meeting the nation’s burgeoning power demand,” Wood Mackenzie’s Narayan said.
A worker walks through the Tapovan Vishnugad hydropower plant project construction site in Uttarakhand, India, on Feb. 9, 2022.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The South Asian nation currently has around 180 gigawatts of installed renewable energy, and hydropower makes up half of that mix. However, more advanced infrastructure is needed to ensure it serves as a reliable alternative to coal in the future.
India experienced the driest August in more than a century when it received 36% less rainfall. Coal reliance that month grew by 13% compared to the year before.
“While India seeks to leverage hydropower to balance its grid, this source of renewable energy is not without its complexities,” Narayan said, explaining that projects are often delayed.
“The construction of dams and run-of-river projects for hydropower often encounters prolonged delays, extensive gestation periods, and is contingent on variable rainfall patterns.”
Solar and wind energy face the same hurdles as underdeveloped power grids curtail progress in the sector.
“India’s existing grid infrastructure is not fully equipped to handle the integration of variable renewable energy sources like solar and wind,” according to Narayan.
Investment is key
Ramping up investments — particularly in battery storage — may be the most significant way for India to meet its net-zero transition goals.
India currently has around 180 gigawatts of installed renewable energy and aims to reach 500 gigawatts by 2030, according to government agency Invest India.
“Grid-scale battery storage is costly, with supply chain disruptions further driving up prices due to events like the Covid-19 pandemic and geopolitical conflicts. These complexities render it challenging to rely solely on renewables for consistent and dependable power generation,” Narayan said.
Water being released from the Madupetty dam and hydro power station in Kerala, India.
Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Another issue is that renewables are a frontloaded investment where “all your investments happen on the day of installation. You pay for everything upfront,” said Rodrigues from Ember.
“The problem with that is that you require a lot of financing capacity, and there is limited financing capacity in India,” he added, warning that India’s net-zero goals cannot be met without foreign investments.
“Going forward, we need to find ways to first phase down coal, then we can talk about completely phasing it out.”
— CNBC’s Naman Tandon contributed to this report.
Tesla has officially entered the autonomous vehicle ‘testing’ phase in Austin, Texas days before its planned launch of a commercial service.
For months, Tesla has been discussing the launch of a self-driving ride-hailing fleet in June in Austin, Texas.
As we previously reported, the move is a major shift from Tesla’s long promise to enable unsupervised self-driving capabilities in millions of vehicles sold since 2016.
Instead, Tesla now plans to operate its own small internal fleet of vehicles with dedicated software optimized for a geo-fenced area of Austin and supported by “plenty of teleoperation.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been talking about launching the paid ride-hailing service to customers in June, but there have been doubts. Musk admitted that Tesla only started testing the system without safety drivers at the end of May.
In comparison, Waymo tested its system, which was already in operation driverless in other cities, for 6 months with safety drivers and 6 months without safety drivers before launching its service in Austin earlier this year.
Tesla was also never on the list of ‘Known AV Operators in Austin‘ on the city’s official website.
As of today, it is now the case. Tesla has been added to the list in the “testing phase”:
Waymo is still the only company listed as being in the “deployment” phase.
It’s unclear if the website is lagging behind the test programs or if Tesla has only now officially started its self-driving testing in the city.
In the past, Tesla has managed to get around self-driving test reporting by claiming that its system is a level ADAS system and not actual “self-driving” – leaving the person in the driver’s seat responsible for the vehicle at all times.
Tesla vehicles with drivers in the driver’s seat and manufacturer plates have been spotted driving around Austin for the past few months.
It was recently reported that Tesla was aiming to launch its commercial autonomous ride-hailing service in Austin on June 12, but it was still a moving target.
Without achieving the deployment phase, Tesla is not going to be able to accept paid rides from customers like Waymo.
Musk has committed several times to launching the service by the end of June.
Electrek’s Take
Again, I’m hoping that Tesla has managed to improve FSD for the geo-fenced location significantly and that it will limit the speed, as the current public version of FSD barely achieves 500 miles between critical disengagements.
Removing the driver could result in some serious accidents.
Teleoperation will also help, but any kind of delay could also be dangerous. It is worrisome.
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The Oshkosh-built Striker Volterra electric ARFF vehicle (Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighter) packs advanced battery technology and multiple power options to deliver consistent emergency response performance no matter how long it needs to be in action.
Oshkosh has been manufacturing ARFF vehicles since it first launched the MB-5 for use by the US Navy back in 1968, and they’ve been pushing the envelope of disaster response performance ever since. The company’s latest ARFF, the electric-drive Striker Volterra shown here, features a slanted body with front bumper designed for maneuvering through the ditches and rough terrain they might encounter on a damaged runway. It’s also big — but it’s big for a purpose. Because ARFF vehicles don’t have to navigate the confines of city streets, they can be built bigger, carry more water, more rescue equipment, and more personnel than conventional fire trucks.
But that’s not why you’re reading about this on Electrek. You’re here to read about the Striker Volterra’s advanced battery tech, electric drive motors, and duty cycle-extending genset that effectively makes it a big EREV. More sympathetic I could not be, but — alas! — OshKosh hasn’t officially revealed those specs.
That said, it’s probably safe to assume they’re pretty similar to those used on the big Pierce fire fighting chassis developed for the Gilbert, Arizona fire department, which uses (you guessed it) an OshKosh-developed battery pack, electric drive system, and onboard diesel generator that can provide power to the electric system. That vehicle packs a 244 kWh battery pack good for up to six hours of operation on battery power alone.
The OshKosk electric Striker Volterra ARFF shown here is a Class 5 6×6 “rapid response” model capable of hauling up to 4,000 gallons of water (over 16 and a half tons, if you’re curious) and “firefighting foam” across an airport at speeds of up to 50 mph, which is positively moving for a machine this size. Plus, it supports zero-emission pumping, surpassing the NFPA required 2-hour continuous pump operation without using diesel.
Again, OshKosh hasn’t shared power and performance specs, but has confirmed that its electric drive Striker Volterra is 28% quicker to 50 mph than its Scania diesel-powered siblings, and that truck packs 550 hp and more than 1,750 ft‑lb torque. So — yeah. It’s got some juice.
Other key benefits, according to OshKosh, include a 75% reduction in total carbon footprint when compared to a conventional internal combustion engine ARFF vehicle based on the manufacturer’s estimated duty cycle, the eliminated need for long diesel idling times, and the ability to run on full-electric when entering, leaving and idling in the fire station, significantly reducing firefighter’s exposure to harmful emissions.
You can find out more by reading the official OshKosh ARFF vehicle reference guide here.
Electrek’s Take
With the relatively short distances driven and extreme loads involved, airports present a nearly ideal use case for battery-electric vehicles in general, and their immediate off-the-line torque, improved efficiency, and ability to operate much more quietly than diesels (facilitating communications) could make all the difference in an emergency situation where lives are quite literally on the line.
Plus, as demand for on-road fossil fuels drops, airports and airlines (historically responsible for about 4% Earth’s global warming) are becoming a bigger and bigger slice of a rapidly shrinking pie when it comes to fossil fuel emissions.
Or, as OshKosk puts it: As airports continue to prioritize sustainability and operational efficiency, the Striker Volterra electric ARFF stands out as a forward-thinking solution that meets today’s demands while preparing for tomorrow’s challenges.
It’s a bit pitchy, but I couldn’t agree more.
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Thanks to a new $10,000 bonus offer introduced this month, the cheapest Lexus you can currently lease is now the 2025 electric RZ. Is it worth checking out?
The cheapest Lexus you can lease is the 2025 RZ
Lexus slashed over $10,000 off the price of the 2025 RZ compared to the 2024MY by introducing a new entry-level 300e FWD trim.
Following the launch of a new promotion this June, Lexus is offering up to $11,500 off 2025 RZ models. The RZ is now the cheapest Lexus vehicle you can lease, starting at $399 for 36 months. With $1,999 due at signing, you’ll end up with an effective monthly cost of $455. Not too bad for a nearly $45,000 luxury electric SUV.
The offer is for the 2025 Lexus RZ 300e FWD with an MSRP of $44,314. In comparison, the 2025 Lexus UX 300h FWD Hybrid, with an MSRP of $39,615, is listed at $349 for 36 months.
With $3,999 due at signing, the monthly effective cost is $460, or $5 more than the RZ. If you’re looking for a higher trim, the RZ 450e is available with up to $11,500 in lease cash.
The entry-level 2025 Lexus RZ 300e FWD model offers a range of up to 266 miles, while the AWD 450e variants achieve a range of up to 220 miles.
Inside, the electric SUV features a standard 14″ infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support. With 37.52″ of rear legroom, the electric SUV has nearly as much second row space as a Ford Explorer (39″).
Although it’s a good deal compared to other Lexus vehicles, other luxury electric SUVs from Acura, Cadillac, and Genesis may still offer better value.
Acura is currently offering nearly $30,000 in lease cash on 2024 ZDX models in select states, with leases starting as low as $299 per month for 24 months. With $2,999 due at signing, the effective monthly rate is only $423. The ZDX offers up to 313 miles of range and more rear legroom (39.4″).
Cadillac’s new entry-level electric SUV, the 2025 Optiq, with an MSRP of $54,390, is listed for lease at just $409 for 24 months. However, it does include a $4,909 due at signing, resulting in an effective monthly rate of $614. The Optiq has up to 302 miles of range and 37.8″ of rear legroom.
| 2025 Lexus RZ model | Starting Price* | EPA-estimated Driving Range |
| RZ 450e AWD | $48,675 | 220 miles |
| RZ 450e Premium AWD w/ 18″ Wheel | $52,875 | 220 miles |
| RZ 450e Premium AWD w/ 20″ Wheel | $54,115 | 196 miles |
| RZ 450e Luxury AWD | $58,605 | 220 miles |
| RZ 300e FWD | $43,975 | 266 miles |
| RZ 300e Premium FWD w/ 18″ Wheel | $48,175 | 266 miles |
| RZ 300e Premium FWD w/ 20″ Wheel | $49,415 | 224 miles |
| RZ 300e Luxury FWD | $53,905 | 266 miles |
Meanwhile, you can snag a 2025 Genesis GV60 (MSRP of $52,350) for $349 for 24 months right now. With $5,999 due at signing, the effective rate is $598.
The new Lexus promotion follows Toyota, which introduced up to $19,000 in savings on its electric SUV, the bZ4X, earlier this month. Both are making room for updated models that will arrive soon.
Looking for your next luxury electric SUV? We can help you find deals in your area. Check out our links below to see what’s available.
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