Becoming fully renewable energy-based by 2040 may be challenging for Keralam: study
A study by WRI India suggests that Kerala faces significant financial and logistical challenges in transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2040. The report emphasizes the need for private investment and decentralized energy solutions.
Why it matters
It provides a realistic assessment of the economic and infrastructure hurdles involved in achieving state-level climate goals.
Becoming a fully renewable energy (RE)-based State by 2040 could prove a “challenging” task for Keralam, indicates a new study released in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday (September 29, 2026).
The southern State would need at least 27 gigawatts (GW) of renewable capacity addition to meet the 2040 demand “purely from renewables, hydro and nuclear without any thermal power support,” according to an ‘exploratory’ Zero Thermal 2040 scenario considered in ‘Pathways for Kerala’s Clean Energy Transition,’ a study conducted by WRI India.
The estimated financial input needed for a complete shift from a thermal power-dominant landscape to a fully RE-based one is huge. The report, released at a workshop organised by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and WRI India, pegs the estimate at ₹64,890 crore, 96% higher than in a business-as-usual scenario.
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