In September 2019, the Chief Minister of Gujarat (a highly industrial state in India) announced that the state would build no new thermal power plants. GERMI, a quasi-government think tank, conducted a first of its kind study to quantify the implications of this transition both in terms of energy and dollars. The insights were important to provide policy makers and financial institutions clarity on the feasibility and pathway of the transition and how much it might cost to phase down existing state-owned thermal power plants.
The findings of the research were shared with multiple government agencies such as the state power department, energy and petrochemical department, Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd. (GUNL), State Load Dispatch Centre, Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission, and other research agencies such as International Energy Agency (IEA), Prayaas, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), etc.
An information steering committee consisting of a diverse set of stakeholders including government, civil society, research groups has been created to take the research forward and build a collective voice to help guide policy. This model can be replicated for every state that seeks to make a transition. Read the study here.
