Raising concerns over the coal shortage, discuss the renewable energy policy and power system. | Descriptive Paper Preparation for SSC Exams - SSC CGL

More than 70% of India's electricity is produced using coal. A growing imbalance between the supply and demand for power is openly observable, and there are already power shortages. India's situation is getting worse while China is going through a power crisis. As economic activities are reviving, India's need for power is increasing. Severe flooding in the monsoon season is one of the reasons why coal production has been so severely hit. One of the causes is a large reduction in imports. The power sector's mainstay continues to be coal. Therefore, to address the emergency, the ministries have jointly decided to draw strategies to maintain the supply of coal to the thermal power units.

India is on an aggressive path to increase the contribution of renewable sources of power in its energy mix. Energy experts believe that coal and power generation has not gone down but the demand for power has risen sharply due to COVID. With this in mind, the idea of alternative sources of energy appear logical though they can’t offset the usage of coal but slowly make way for the additional extra power requirement sharing the burden. What India can least expect in this time of economic recovery is power cuts. Solar energy can ramp up the existing shortage but only if the policy makers remove the roadblocks enabling rapid deployment. Once the acceptance increases, the cost would start coming down. It can happen in the medium to long term but it has to start now. Given the negative consequences of fossil fuels on the environment, renewable energy sources like solar, wind, geothermal, and hydroelectricity should be chosen over them. Renewable energy sources open the door to a better future, but a seamless transition will require cutting-edge technology, meticulous planning, and improved flexibility.