Renewable energy expansion: Hiding behind 'land scarcity' excuse is irresponsible, says expert

By A Representative

In a strongly worded submission addressed to the Hon’ble Minister of State for New & Renewable Energy, Sri Shripad Yesso Naik, and Hon’ble Cabinet Minister for New & Renewable Energy, Sri Pralhad Joshi, noted power and climate policy analyst, Mr. Shankar Sharma, has urged the government to urgently re-evaluate its renewable energy (RE) strategy in light of critical land scarcity issues.

Referring to recent media reports citing land shortage as a major obstacle to achieving solar energy goals, Mr. Sharma highlighted a glaring omission in public discussions: the sustainable and scalable potential of distributed renewable energy models, especially rooftop solar photovoltaic (SPV) systems.

Citing data, Sharma emphasized that India's energy needs by 2047 could be three to four times higher than current levels, requiring RE capacity expansion on an unprecedented scale. Relying solely on large solar and wind parks would demand massive land diversion, creating serious ecological, social, and agricultural challenges.

"Even large countries like Russia, the US, or Canada cannot escape land scarcity if they pursue only large-scale RE parks," he warned, adding that continuing this approach would have devastating consequences for India's natural resources and rural livelihoods.

Drawing attention to a recent study indicating that rooftop solar could meet the bulk of global electricity demand, Sharma illustrated that India has a staggering potential of up to 2,000 GW through residential rooftop solar alone — not accounting for additional capacity from commercial and industrial buildings, railway platforms, and agricultural pump sheds.

He criticized policy narratives that cite land scarcity without promoting rooftop solar as a viable solution, stating: "Hiding behind the excuse of 'land scarcity' is irresponsible when sustainable alternatives exist."

Further, Sharma highlighted the ecological and social costs of diverting forests and fertile agricultural lands for RE parks. He referenced a Supreme Court observation stressing the protection of trees and environmental values, arguing that public resistance to land diversion is growing stronger.

Innovative technologies such as Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) systems were also mentioned as critical enablers for mass rooftop SPV adoption, enhancing grid resilience without the need for large-scale, ecologically damaging infrastructure expansions.

With Spain recently achieving 100% weekday renewable energy usage, Sharma pointed out that India too could lead in sustainable energy transition — but only if distributed renewable energy sources like rooftop SPVs are given urgent and serious priority.

In conclusion, Sharma warned that without a holistic and diligent approach to energy policy, India's most vulnerable communities would bear the brunt of poor planning, and the country would miss the opportunity to sustainably meet its future energy needs.

The submission has been copied with compliments to Hon'ble Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi and Hon’ble Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman for their kind consideration.

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