UC Santa Barbara

Using geospatial and economic analysis, we identify abundant renewable resources in India — 850–3400 GW for onshore wind, 1300–5200 GW for utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV), 160–620 GW for concentrated solar power (CSP, with 6 h-storage). However, these resources are concentrated in the western and southern regions. Deriving capital costs from India's 2017–18 auction prices, we estimate the 5th and 95th percentiles of levelized costs of energy generation ranging from USD 47–52 per MWh for solar PV and USD 42–62 per MWh for wind. Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana are the best states for access to high-voltage substations, but transmission investments in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh are needed to harness significant renewable resources. More than 80% of wind resources lie on agricultural lands where dual land use strategies could encourage wind development and avoid loss of agriculturally productive land. Approximately 90% of CSP resources and 80% of solar PV resources are in areas experiencing high water stress, which can severely restrict deployment unless water requirements are minimized. Finally, we find co-location potential of at least 110 GW of wind and 360 GW of solar PV, which together could meet 35% of electricity demand in 2030.