India's chronic water shortage could be the key to increasing the percentage of solar in the country's energy mix. The Indian government has set a target for renewable sources such as wind and solar, but it is unclear how much progress they have made so far. Reports by NITI Aayog predict India's water demand will be double the actual supply by 2030, while 60 major cities could face severe shortages within the next two years. The think tank said it was "irresponsible" to build new coal capacity that would further deplete already scarce water resources.
India's chronic water shortage could be the key to increasing the percentage of solar in the country's energy mix. The National Thermal Power Corporation said coal, which accounts for 56.7% of the country's installed capacity, uses eight times the amount of water compared with solar. Reports by NITI Aayog predict India's water demand will be double the actual supply by 2030, while 60 major cities could face severe shortages within the next two years. The think tank said it was "irresponsible" to build new coal capacity that would further deplete already scarce water resources.