Balancing Green Growth And Ground Realities: Policy Gaps In Land Acquisition And Environmental Clearance For India’s Renewable Energy Transition
- IJLLR Journal
- Jul 24
- 1 min read
Brijesh Nayak, Symbiosis Law School, Noida
Introduction
India has set ambitious renewable energy targets (500 GW by 2030) to reduce carbon emissions and meet growing demand. The sector has seen explosive growth – from 2.8 GW of solar in 2014 to about 97.9 GW in 2024, with wind capacity at 48.2 GW. This translates to roughly 45% of India’s power capacity being non-fossil fuel based. However, this rapid expansion raises critical questions about land use and environmental oversight. Large-scale wind and solar farms require vast land tracts (around 4–5 acres per MW), and projects are often fast-tracked under exemptions. In practice, current policies largely favour rapid deployment: many renewables are exempt from standard land, water or environmental regulations, on the rationale that they “do not cause pollution or ecological impact”. Experts warn that this topdown, industry-led approach risks sidelining ecological and social concerns. This paper examines India’s land acquisition and environmental clearance regimes as they apply to renewable energy, identifying key gaps and conflicts. It considers all major renewable types (solar, wind, hydro, biomass, etc.) and includes state perspectives from Karnataka and Delhi, highlighting recent developments and cases.
Renewable Energy Landscape in India
India’s installed renewable capacity reached about 209.44 GW by end-2024. Major sources include:
• Solar Power: ~97.9 GW installed (up from 73.3 GW in 2023). Utility-scale parks and rooftop PV dominate. Large solar parks (e.g. Kurnool UMPP in Andhra Pradesh) occupy thousands of acres; for example, achieving 1 MW often requires about 4–5 acres.
