The entry of renewable energy sources should not be viewed as a threat to coal’s standing at least in the immediate future as coal would continue to fuel India’s electricity generation going by the current consumption pattern, Coal India’s chairman and managing director Pramod Agrawal said in the company’s latest annual report published July 30. It was expected that the renewable energy sources will contribute to the country’s fast expanding energy basket. From an environmental perspective, this is a welcome move in view of the climate commitments made by India in COP26 at Glasgow, Agrawal said in the report. “But, till renewable energy starts contributing to the extent that it could take over coal’s role, coal cannot be dethroned from its energy pedestal.” According to CIL’s data, India’s coal based generation accounted for 69.9% of the country’s overall electricity generation of 1,490.277 billion units in fiscal year 2021-22 (April-March), […]