India is getting rid of fossil fuels for energy production

India is making the switch to renewables and leaving dirty energy in the dust.

Amongst the country’s total population, 1.3 billion people, nearly 300 million do not have access to electricity and have average incomes at or lower than $1,600 a year.

Now mainly powered by coal, India is adding 50 percent more solar and wind than the U.S. currently has installed.

Why this matters:
60 percent of India’s electricity will be produced with non-fossil fuels by 2027. That exceeds the target set in the Paris Climate Agreement by almost 20 percent.

It also means India should meet its Paris commitments three years early. The increase in renewables means no new coal-fired energy plants will be required.

Steps to take:
India is seeking foreign investment to provide capital to build renewable energy plants. Japan’s Softbank and Taiwanese company Foxconn have committed $20 billion. French-owned EDF will invest $2 billion in renewable energy projects.

India is looking to wind and solar power to provide most of its energy requirements.

Let’s not forget:
The world’s biggest solar power plant opened in India’s Tamil Nadu state in 2016.