Rajasthan hits record-low share of fossil fuel generation for four consecutive months in 2023

  • Delhi, India

  • 18 September 2023

New data from global energy think tank Ember reveals that the share of fossil fuels in Rajasthan’s power generation mix has hit record-low levels at 50% from April to July. This is the first time that the lowest level was sustained for over a quarter of the year.

Fossil fuels produced 34 TWh of electricity from January to July 2023, showing no growth (-1.6%) in comparison to the same period in 2022. Meanwhile, solar and wind power generation grew 28% year-on-year, having produced 27 TWh in the same period this year. Just two years ago, solar and wind generation would have been less than half of the amount we see today. Combined with other clean sources (nuclear, hydro, bioenergy), clean power generation in Rajasthan is now on par with fossil generation.

From January to July 2023, electricity generation in Rajasthan increased by 4.4 TWh compared to the same period in 2022. The increase in power generation was entirely fuelled by growth in solar and wind. As a result, the carbon emissions intensity of power produced in Rajasthan in July 2023 was 422 gCO2e/kWh, 10% lower than in July 2022. 

The state of Rajasthan has pushed for deployment of solar and wind power fleets by administering its Solar Energy Policy and Wind Hybrid Energy Policy in 2019. In addition, the rise in demand for clean power in other states such as Delhi is attracting investments in Rajasthan, a state that boasts the highest solar potential across the country. 

From January to July 2023, Rajasthan added 1.7 GW of solar and 0.5 GW of wind capacity. As of July 2023, Rajasthan’s solar and wind capacity stood at 23 GW, accounting for 20% of India’s solar and wind capacity.. Expansion of solar and wind has made Rajasthan a top supplier of clean electricity in India. Meanwhile, fossil generation capacity – coal and gas – showed no change since 2022. 

As a nation, India generated over 70% of its electricity from fossil fuels throughout 2023 (up to July), and 77% of its electricity across the whole of 2022.

To limit global temperature rise to 1.5C, it is imperative that the world must triple renewable capacity by 2030. The G20 countries have committed to meeting this goal under India’s presidency. The remarkable growth in renewables in Rajasthan demonstrates that it is possible. India can lead by example through successful delivery on President Modi’s promise to reach 500 GW of non-fossil generation capacity.

Uni Lee Data Analyst, Ember

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About Ember

Ember is an independent energy think tank that aims to accelerate the clean energy transition with data and policy. It creates targeted data insights to advance policies that urgently shift the world to a clean, electrified energy future.

Methodology

Ember curates monthly electricity generation data from key national and international sources around the world and these are published on its Data Explorer. The full methodology and sources can be viewed here.

A dedicated explorer on India’s national and state level electricity data is also available. The calculation for the number of people that can be served with Rajasthan’s solar capacity considers consumption across all sectors (residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural). It was calculated using Rajasthan’s solar load factor (21.9%) and wind load factor (14.7%) based on historical generation and capacity data for Rajasthan. India’s per capita yearly power demand is 1.32 MWh.