Climate-resilience Readiness of Emerging Clean Energy Technologies for India’s Energy Transition: A Deep Dive into Select Technologies

Abstract Sustainability and decarbonization need to be a central component of economic development in the backdrop of climate change, mandates and stakeholder pressures. Climate-resilient infrastructure can significantly contribute to this sustainable and clean development. As energy lies at the heart of decarbonization, this study focuses on one of the critical infrastructures, power sector, and examines the climate-resilience readiness of select clean technologies in light of India’s decarbonization challenge. Battery Energy Storage System (BESS); offshore wind and green hydrogen are studied based on secondary data, incorporating an exploratory and descriptive research design, while using the logic of deduction. Research sets out the barriers faced by India’s power sector in climate-resiliency transition, identifies indicators for measuring climate-resilience and assesses select technologies for their climate-resilience readiness for India’s energy transition. Barriers fall under 5 key categories – technical, monetary, governance, data and social. Indicators for resilience measurement encompass themes of reliability, robustness and resourcefulness. Resilience assessment reveals that BESS, offshore wind and green hydrogen are climate-resilient technologies, albeit, not without gaps which demand policy interventions. Although climate-resilience readiness of clean energy technologies will be of significance, 4 levers of energy transition will hold equal value – policy and regulations, technology, sustainable financing and ESG considerations.