Originally published on CleanTechnica
by Zachary Shahan
India’s Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Piyush Goyal, has provided a powerful statement for the global community in the wake of Donald Trump’s rise to power in the United States.
With the topic put on a tee by Michael Liebreich, Chairman of the Advisory Board of Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), Piyush Goyal slammed it down the fairway to great cheers*. Goyal powerfully emphasized that India is not going to pull back its efforts if another country (like the USA) falls behind on theirs. He highlighted what he had already noted in his initial comments: he believes that most if not all of the individual country climate commitments (INDCs) are conservative and will actually be surpassed due to the stunning and ongoing improvements and cost-competitiveness in cleantech — renewable energy and electric cars.
Watch Piyush Goyal’s comments in this exclusive CleanTechnica video (jump to 5 minutes into the video for the question regarding the USA and Donald Trump):
→ Also see: India’s Renewable Energy & Coal Minister Talks Energy Transition (CleanTechnica Exclusive)
→ Also see: Cleantech Disruption — My Presentation At Institutional Investment Conference In India (Video)
Earlier in his comments, Piyush Goyal told the world what you typically just hear from cleantech enthusiasts, that clean energy is so cost-competitive now that the market will explode in growth if governments don’t obstruct clean energy project development but enable it.
Michael Liebreich is a brilliant cleantech communicator (one of the four best, in my opinion) and is perhaps the best person in the world to moderate a cleantech panel. I knew there would be some hot highlights from his panel at Abu Dhabi’s Global Action Day, a panel that included 4 ministers (of India, the UAE, Jordan, and the UK) as well as an EDF exec and the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA).
I will publish additional highlights from this panel in the coming weeks, but I think this statement from India’s Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines is the most important globally.
That said, Mr Goyal also made some misinformed or misleading comments regarding baseload power. Here’s more on that topic in case you are not up to date on how unimportant (and even potentially challenging) baseload power from inflexible sources like coal is:
National Grid CEO: Large Power Stations For Baseload Power Is Outdated
Base Load Power Is A Myth Used For Defending The Fossil Fuel Industry
Renewables Become New Baseload For Power In South Australia
Solar Power Is Not Merely Least Expensive
→ Also see: India Fuel Crisis Is Another Call For India To Become 1st Electric Car Nation
→ Also see: India Attracted $14 Billion In Renewable Energy Investment In 3 Years
*Golf haters: sorry for the golf metaphors. Golf lovers: sorry for disrupting the golf course with cheers.
