TERI Signs MoUs with West Bengal and Bihar to Support Renewable Energy Transition

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to support the renewable energy transitions of West Bengal and Bihar and has set out recommendations to help Assam convert its power-sector project pipeline into operational capacity. The engagements took place during the West Bengal, Bihar, and Assam State Plenary Sessions at the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit & Expo 2026, held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

On the sidelines of the West Bengal State Plenary Session, TERI signed an MoU with the Department of Power, Government of West Bengal. Under the MoU, TERI will support the state in four areas: agrivoltaics (AgriPV) strategy; Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure roadmap, including corridor electrification; energy storage, including emerging battery technologies; and integrated demand-supply projections and resource adequacy planning. TERI will also facilitate clean-energy transition financing, including a potential transition fund for thermal-intensive eastern states, to mobilise investment while limiting the impact on consumer tariffs.

Santanu Basu, IAS, Principal Secretary, Department of Power, Government of West Bengal, said, “West Bengal is building the policy foundation for a cleaner, more reliable power system. This partnership with TERI will bring research-backed solutions into the state’s planning.” 

Presenting TERI’s analysis, Alekhya Datta, Director, Electricity and Renewables Division, TERI, said that West Bengal’s installed capacity is projected to grow from 17 GW to 145 GW by 2047, with renewables accounting for approximately 85 percent of the total installed capacity. This transformation will require a significant expansion of battery storage and an estimated investment of INR 5.8 lakh crore.

On the sidelines of the Bihar State Plenary Session, TERI signed an MoU with Bihar State Power Generation Company (BSPGCL). Under the MoU, TERI will support the state in three areas: short, medium and long-term energy storage, including battery energy storage and pumped storage; new solar applications, including AgriPV, building-integrated photovoltaics, and rail- and road-integrated photovoltaics; and capacity building and knowledge exchange.

Ajay Yadav, IAS, Secretary, Energy Department, Government of Bihar, said, “Energy storage and emerging solar applications will be central to Bihar’s renewable energy transition. A partnership with TERI can strengthen the technical capabilities of the state’s utilities to effectively plan, evaluate, and implement these solutions.”

At the Assam State Plenary Session, TERI set out recommendations to help the state turn its power-sector pipeline into operational capacity. Assam has outlined a pipeline of 8,457 MW, backed by investment of over INR 77,000 crore, and spanning pumped storage, thermal, hydro, solar and battery storage. TERI recommended four measures: quarterly monitoring of project readiness, financing, construction, evacuation and commissioning; validation of long-term demand assumptions; digital mapping and appropriate land-procurement mechanisms to support solar development; and AgriPV pilots for suitable crops.

Dr K. K. Dwivedi, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Assam, emphasised the need to convert the state’s renewable energy potential into implementable projects through coordinated planning, investment and partnerships.

Presenting TERI’s analysis, Datta said that Assam’s installed capacity is projected to grow from 3.83 GW to 38.81 GW by 2047 under TERI’s Viksit Assam 2047 scenario, with renewables accounting for approximately 89 percent. He identified integrated resource planning, distribution modernisation and green skilling as key pillars of this transformation.

The central message from the session was that progress must be measured in operational capacity, not announced capacity, and that Assam’s clean-energy transition must combine timely project execution, affordable power, agricultural safeguards and local green employment.

TERI also participated in the Delhi Plenary session on “Powering Every Rooftop: Delhi’s Utility-Led Aggregation Model for Mass Adoption of Residential Solar.” 

Sachin Singh, Associate Director, Electricity & Renewables, TERI, highlighted the need to move beyond individual rooftops towards the aggregation of urban solar resources. He emphasised the potential to unlock solar capacity across institutional buildings, parking areas owned by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), market buildings and bus depots.

The discussion comes as Delhi works to scale up residential rooftop solar through the ULA model. TERI’s suggestions point to ways in which the city’s institutional, municipal and commercial spaces, together with shared arrangements such as community solar, could widen access to solar energy and help more households benefit from Delhi’s clean energy transition.