The phasing down of Coal in India’s energy mix is a strategic approach by the country to meet its climate action goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2070. The country’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), the self-imposed climate action under the Paris Agreement, includes achieving about 50% of its installed electric power capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030. The current installed generation capacity of the country from non-fossil fuel-based resources is pegged at 43%. While raising this percentage to 50% over the next seven years is feasible, the country has no plan to retire or repurpose any coal-based power stations during this period. This is evident from an advisory issued by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) in January this year suggesting that, considering the expected energy demand scenario and availability of power, no retirement or repurposing of coal-based power stations will be done before 2030. The CEA also advised thermal power plants to implement renovations, modernization, and life extension of their units for running up to 2030 and beyond or operating in two-shift mode to facilitate solar and wind energy integration into the grid, wherever feasible. The total installed fossil fuel generation capacity of the country is 56.8%, of which coal alone accounts for 49.1% and gas accounts for 6%. An increase in non-fossil fuel-based power generation will automatically bring down the percentage of fossil-fuel-based energy generation to 50% in India’s energy mix. Therefore, while percentage shares of fossil fuel and non-fossil fuel energy resources in the country’s power generation will be readjusted, there will not be much reduction in emissions in the energy sector, particularly from coal-based power stations, from the current level. Besides, the Power Ministry stated in the parliament that power generation is a de-licenced activity as per Section 7 of the Electricity Act, 2003, and the phasing out or retirement of units is decided by power generating companies based on their own techno-economic and environmental reasons. This, however, lacks clarity as to the role to be played by power generation companies in achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2070 if the phasing out or retirement is left to be decided by those companies. The private sector accounts for 50.7% of total installed generation capacity, while the central sector power companies account for 24% and the state sector power companies account for 25.3%. The Power Ministry, however, informed the parliament that a large number of thermal power plants operating in the country have already adopted super-critical and ultra-critical technologies in order to achieve higher efficiencies and reduce their carbon footprint. As of this date, 94 coal-based thermal units with a total capacity of 65,150 MW are operating with super-critical or ultra-super-critical technologies. India aims to increase its solar power generation to 280 gigawatts by 2030, while its cumulative solar power capacity until June 30 was 70 GW. The country has an estimated solar power potential of 748 GW, which makes the target achievable provided the demand for solar power increases. The high cost of solar panels poses impediments to their adoption by individual households for meeting their energy demand. Moreover, for household consumers, a lack of transparency in the working of rooftop solar projects connected to the electricity grid and its accounting in the monthly electricity bill served by power distribution companies also discourages many from going for it despite subsidies being offered by the government for installation. The Power Ministry states that solar projects are developed largely through private investments by the project developers selected through tariff-based competitive bidding for captive consumption and third-party sale, and at present, 55.90 GW of solar projects are under implementation. Steps taken by the government for the promotion of renewable energy include the waiver of inter-state transmission charges on the transmission of electricity generated from solar, wind, green hydrogen and ammonia, pump storage plants, and energy Storage sources. Moreover, to promote the use of renewable energy and replace the costlier thermal and hydropower with renewable energy, the Ministry initiated a revised scheme for “Flexibility in Generation and Scheduling of Thermal and Hydropower Stations through Bundling with Renewable Energy and Storage Power.” A notification issued by the Power Ministry on February 27 mandated that any generating company establishing a coal or lignite-based thermal generating station (except a captive one fulfilling Renewable Purchase Obligations) and having the Commercial Operation Date (COD) of the project on or after April 1, 2023, shall be required to establish renewable energy generating capacity of a minimum of forty percent (40%) of the capacity (in MW) of a coal or lignite-based thermal generating station or procure and supply renewable energy equivalent to such capacity. If the generating company opts for the second option, then in such a scenario, the emissions from the coal-based station may not decrease. Preference for ‘phasing down coal’ over ‘phasing out coal’ has put India’s clean energy transition on a rough trajectory.