Do you think India will meet 50 percent of its energy needs from renewable energy by 2030? Justify your answer. How will the shift of subsidies from fossil fuels to renewables help achieve the above objective? Explain.

Use it as a reality check: emergency orders to run coal plants flat out show how heavily peak supply still depends on coal, tempering optimism on renewable targets.

• On 25 September 2026 the Power Ministry invoked Section 11 of the Electricity Act, 2003 to make 112 captive coal plants (50 MW and above) run at maximum capacity until 31 December.
• CEA data showed that on 19 September, 74 of about 190 monitored coal plants, nearly 40%, had critically low stocks, below 25% of required stock.
• Limited battery and pumped storage means evening peaks still depend on coal; faster storage rollout is needed for renewables to displace thermal supply.

Use e-methanol to show renewable energy reaching hard-to-electrify sectors like shipping, while noting the scale gap that tempers any target-based optimism.

• The Kandla plant (a DPA and Assam Petro-Chemicals joint venture, 76:24) uses green hydrogen from renewable electrolysis; Phase I is targeted for January 2027 and Phase II for March 2027.
• It aligns with the IMO's goal of net-zero emissions from international shipping by around 2050 and creates demand for the National Green Hydrogen Mission.
• Scale gap: about 55,000 tonnes a year against an estimated 540 million tonnes a year of green methanol needed to replace all marine fuel.

Use it to argue that India's renewable goals hinge on transmission and storage, and to show public money now flowing into grid integration of renewables.

• GEC-III (approved 30 September 2026) has an outlay of ₹1,86,405 crore to strengthen intra-State transmission for up to 135 GW of renewables and add 50 GWh of battery storage by 2032-33.
• Central financial support of ₹54,082 crore (about 29%) eases the burden that would otherwise raise tariffs, an example of public money backing clean energy infrastructure.
• Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said transmission must be in place before renewable capacity is added; the scheme is linked to 900 GW of installed non-fossil capacity by 2035.