REconnect Coimbatore Maps India’s Clean-Energy Priorities: Stronger Grids, More Storage, Faster RE Growth
REconnect Coimbatore highlighted a realistic assessment of India’s clean-energy landscape, outlining demand shifts, emerging technologies, and the operational priorities, with experts calling for stronger grid and storage infra, and rapid scale-up of distributed and utility-scale renewables to meet India’s rising energy demand and net-zero ambitions.
December 04, 2025. By Mrinmoy Dey
In this context, Energetica India convened the REconnect Summit 2025 in Coimbatore, themed “Powering Tomorrow: Solar and Wind Synergies for a Resilient Tamil Nadu”. The forum brought together senior stakeholders from government, industry, EPCs, Discoms and the innovation ecosystem to align priorities, accelerate execution, and unlock new opportunities across the renewable-energy value chain.
In his inaugural address, Hemant Arora, Director, Energetica India, highlighted Tamil Nadu’s leadership in clean energy transition. “As of 2025, the state has crossed 24,000 MW of installed renewable capacity, driven by significant growth in both solar and wind. Tamil Nadu now hosts 10,000 MW of solar capacity, ranking fourth nationally, and an impressive 11,000 MW of wind capacity, firmly reinforcing its position as a sector frontrunner.”
He further asserted that these milestones underscore not only progress but also accelerating momentum that aligns with India achieving 50 percent of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil sources. He highlighted India’s 500 GW RE target by 2030 and called for coordinated action to meet national targets. He added that Coimbatore, standing at the intersection of industry, innovation and renewable deployment, is an ideal setting to drive forward these critical conversations.
Dr. K. Balaraman, Former Director General, NIWE, MNRE; and Chairman, ETD46 BIS, highlighted that renewable electricity represents only about 20 percent of the total energy basket, with the remaining 80 percent still driven by oil, coal, lignite and non-commercial fuels — areas that must shrink for a meaningful clean-energy transition. Pointing to the sharp rise in electricity’s share due to EV uptake, he said future demand will surge as mobility, buildings and industry electrify.
He pointed out that countries like China have witnessed double-digit jumps in electricity’s share due to EV adoption and industrial electrification, signalling what India can expect as demand shifts across sectors. Achieving net zero, he said, will require RE’s share to rise from today’s 20 percent to nearly 50 percent, implying a two- to three-fold expansion of grid capacity, especially if the entire mobility sector transitions to electric.
With Tamil Nadu alone holding 205 GW of solar potential and 100 GW of wind potential, Balaraman emphasised that resource availability is not the challenge. He identified EV charging infrastructure, RE variability, green hydrogen and e-fuels, industrial decarbonisation and large-scale energy storage as the next frontier challenges. “Looking ahead, microgrids and autonomous grids could emerge as mainstream solutions as storage costs fall, enabling households and commercial users to operate as independent nanogrids,” he said.
Er. C. Sathish Kumar, Superintending Engineer, Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation, announced a key milestone for the city, confirming that Coimbatore commissioned Tamil Nadu’s first floating solar project — a 154 kW installation at Ukkadam Periyakulam — on November 18, 2025, becoming only the fourth such project in India.
Turning to rooftop solar, he stressed that Coimbatore is playing a pivotal role in the PM Surya Ghar scheme, which aims to solarise one crore households nationwide. Tamil Nadu’s target stands at 1.8 lakh homes, with Coimbatore receiving the state’s highest allocation of 30,000 installations. Of these, 6,600 systems have already been completed, reflecting both strong uptake and significant untapped potential in and around the district.
He added that five large villages near Coimbatore have been selected for a solar installation competition under the scheme. The village achieving the highest rooftop solar capacity by early 2026 will receive a central government reward of INR 1 crore — an incentive designed to accelerate grassroots adoption and community-led clean energy efforts.
R.K. Vinothan, Former Director (Technical), Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation, underscored that accelerating renewable energy adoption is essential as India’s power demand rises sharply — driven by industrial expansion, agricultural growth, and rapid urbanisation across major states. He noted that annual electricity demand is increasing by 7–8 percent, even touching 10 percent in some regions, raising urgent questions about capacity, investment, and long-term resource security.
He cautioned that traditional fossil fuel reserves — coal, oil, and natural gas — will face eventual depletion, making renewable energy not just an option but a necessity for future generations. India, he emphasised, is naturally advantaged with abundant sunlight, strong onshore and offshore wind resources, and a long coastline — positioning the country to lead the global RE transition.
Vinothan also highlighted the operational challenges tied to renewables: wind seasonality, limited solar hours, and the growing complexity of grid management as RE penetration increases. Strengthening transmission and distribution networks, addressing intermittency, and accelerating storage deployment — particularly BESS — are critical, he said. He also stressed the importance of advancing EV adoption, distributed solar, and rooftop systems to cut losses and decentralise generation.
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