Published Sep 23, 2026 | 5:25 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 23, 2026 | 5:25 PM
Keralam has limited potential to generate renewable power within the state. (Representational image/iStock)
Synopsis: Keralam has set an ambitious target to meet all its electricity needs from renewable sources by 2040 and become carbon neutral by 2050. However, its limited renewable resources and dependence on power imports make the transition challenging. The roadmap points to a future built on solar, wind, large-scale storage and a stronger grid, while underlining the difficult choices needed to bridge the resource gap.
At a time when power shortages and outages are pressuring the UDF government to keep Keralam’s electricity supply steady, the state has set a far more ambitious energy target: ending its dependence on fossil-fuel-based power and meeting all its energy needs from renewable sources within the next 14 years.
The Carbon Neutral Kerala 2050 Pathway, prepared by the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, envisages a complete transformation of the state’s energy system, with 100% renewable energy targeted by 2040 and carbon neutrality by 2050 — two decades ahead of India’s national net-zero goal of 2070.
The roadmap envisages a major expansion of solar and wind power, large-scale energy storage, modernisation of the electricity grid and greater decentralised generation, alongside a rapid shift towards electricity in transport and other sectors.
The ambition, however, comes with formidable challenges.
Keralam has limited land for large renewable-energy projects and remains heavily dependent on power purchased from outside the state.
Solar and wind generation are intermittent, requiring substantial storage and grid upgrades. At the same time, transport, industry and other hard-to-abate sectors will need costly changes to move away from fossil fuels. The state will also have to balance the push for renewable infrastructure with environmental safeguards.
The pathway therefore represents not merely a change in the source of Keralam’s electricity, but a fundamental restructuring of the state’s energy and development model.
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A major shift towards renewable energy, cleaner transport and low-carbon development is at the heart of the comprehensive roadmap to become carbon neutral by 2050.
The Carbon Neutral Kerala 2050 (CN50) Pathway, prepared in partnership with New Delhi-based NGO Vasudha Foundation, lists sector-wise measures to cut emissions while protecting economic growth, energy security and social well-being. The roadmap is based on sectoral assessments, energy-system modelling, stakeholder consultations, and coordination among government departments.
The state’s transition will depend largely on transforming its energy sector — increasing electrification and renewable-energy generation, improving energy efficiency, adopting green hydrogen in sectors where emissions are difficult to eliminate and modernising the power grid. Large-scale energy storage and distributed clean-energy systems are envisaged to reduce Kerala’s dependence on imported thermal power.
“Keralam has a relatively low emissions profile, but maintaining that advantage will require changes across sectors. The CN50 pathway provides a practical framework to align development planning with climate goals,” a senior Environment Department official said.
The official pointed out that Keralam’s per capita emissions stand at 0.64 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, against 2.46 tonnes nationally.
Its production-based footprint is low, aided by its biodiversity and limited presence of large greenhouse-gas-intensive industries, though its consumption-based footprint is relatively high.
The plan also covers sustainable mobility, cleaner industries, scientific waste management, climate-responsive agriculture and greater carbon sequestration through forests and other natural ecosystems. Its implementation will require sustained participation from government, industry, academia, local bodies and communities.
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The pathway envisages a fundamental overhaul of the state’s power sector, aiming to move away from dependence on electricity generated by coal-fired plants outside the state. It calls for a renewable energy system backed by large-scale storage and a modernised grid.
The plan envisages 50.52 GW of solar and 11.28 GW of wind capacity to meet future demand while maintaining reliability.
It also calls for 21 GW/153 GWh of energy storage, with an average storage duration of 7.3 hours, to balance fluctuations in renewable generation.
The transformation is considered necessary because Keralam has limited potential to generate renewable power within the state.
Its internal renewable energy potential is estimated at only 18.92 GW, making long-term interstate renewable power agreements a permanent requirement for ensuring energy security.
Under the CN50 scenario, electricity demand is projected to reach 123.70 TWh by 2050.
The roadmap aims to reduce the grid emission factor from 0.58 kgCO₂e/kWh in 2021 to nearly zero by 2040, alongside the target of achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2040.
The document highlights that Keralam’s present power mix is dominated by hydropower.
With firm hydel availability limited, the state depends heavily on power purchases from outside, including long-term agreements with NTPC, thermal and nuclear generating stations in other states and bilateral arrangements.
About half of the state’s electricity requirement is sourced from coal-based generation in neighbouring states and power markets, adding indirect greenhouse gas emissions to the state’s consumption footprint.
Domestic consumers account for the largest share of electricity use. The scale of the transition becomes clearer under the Business as Usual (BAU) scenario.
Keralam’s energy demand would rise from 372.34 PJ in 2021 to 648.04 PJ by 2050. Electricity’s share of primary energy supply would increase from 28.21% to 56.02%, driven by policies promoting electrification, including the EV Policy 2019 and Industrial Policy 2023.
Higher cooling needs from rising temperatures and heatwaves would further pressure electricity demand.
As a result, electricity consumption would more than triple from 25.84 TWh in 2021 to 92.54 TWh in 2050 under BAU.
Energy-related emissions in the BAU pathway are projected to rise from 17.35 MtCO₂e in 2021 to a peak of 21.90 MtCO₂e in 2030, before declining to 20.53 MtCO₂e by 2050, partly due to greater adoption of electric vehicles.
An official associated with the exercise said the power-sector transition would have to address both rising electricity demand and the state’s dependence on imported, carbon-intensive power. The roadmap, the official said, therefore places renewable generation, storage, grid strengthening and interstate clean-power procurement at the centre of the state’s long-term energy strategy.
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However, the pathway also highlighted a fundamental hurdle: the state does not have enough renewable energy resources within its borders to meet future demand.
The state’s in-house renewable energy potential is estimated at just 18.92 GW, comprising 12.40 GW of ground-mounted solar, 2.62 GW of onshore wind, 2.47 GW of conventional hydropower, 0.65 GW of small hydro and 0.78 GW of biomass.
Against this, the state’s projected electricity requirement is expected to rise sharply, with demand reaching 123.49 TWh by 2050.
The corresponding generation capacity requirement is estimated at 47.39 GW to 66.11 GW.
The gap means Keralam cannot depend solely on projects within the state to achieve its renewable energy transition.
Buying renewable power from other states will have to become a long-term feature of the state’s electricity system, rather than a temporary arrangement.
The roadmap envisages a major expansion of solar and wind power, backed by 15 GW to 21 GW of energy storage to maintain grid reliability.
Solar, in particular, is projected to become the backbone of the future electricity system, with storage playing a central role in balancing fluctuations in renewable generation.
The roadmap underscored that transitioning to a near-100% renewable and highly decarbonised electricity system by 2040 is technically feasible. Still, it will require a fundamental change in how the state plans, procures, and operates its power system.
The immediate challenge, therefore, is not merely adding more solar panels and wind turbines.
The state, according to the pathway, will need large-scale investment in energy storage, transmission and grid modernisation, along with mechanisms to procure renewable power from states with surplus resources.
The state also needs a more comprehensive assessment of its renewable potential.
The roadmap calls for the assessment to cover floating solar, agrivoltaic systems, rooftop solar, offshore wind and other decentralised renewable energy applications. A fuller assessment could identify additional resources not captured in the existing 18.92-GW estimate.
Inter-state renewable energy trade is projected to be the most practical way of bridging the remaining gap. Procuring clean power from neighbouring states with surplus renewable resources could help Keralam improve energy security while supporting its transition to a lower-carbon electricity system.
At the same time, an official with the Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (ANERT) said, “Increased renewable generation will bring another set of problems. As solar and wind capacity expands, the system could face high levels of renewable-energy curtailment and greater dependence on storage to balance variations in generation and demand.”
The official added further, “This makes coordinated investment in the grid, electricity markets and demand-side flexibility essential. Storage, in particular, is expected to move from being an additional flexibility option to becoming a critical operational component of the state’s power system.”
The central challenge, therefore, is clear: Keralam’s renewable ambitions far exceed the renewable resources currently available within the state. Meeting the 2040 target will depend not only on exploiting every available local source, but also on building storage at scale, strengthening the grid and securing a sustained supply of renewable electricity from outside the state.
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(Edited by Majnu Babu).
