Solar energy output goal could create 1 million jobs: Study

NEW DELHI: India's goal of reaching 100 gigawatt solar energy goal by 2022 could create one million jobs, a new analysis released today said.

The analysis also said that it will also improve the energy access for Indian citizens and help fight climate change.

"Achieving Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recently announced 100 gigawatt (GW) solar energy goal by 2022 could create as many as one million jobs while greatly improving energy access for Indian citizens and fighting climate change," the analysis said.

The analysis titled "clean energy powers local job growth in India" has been conducted by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

It further said that achieving India's proposed target of 60GW of wind energy by 2022 would also generate an additional 180,000 jobs.

The analysis finds that this one million jobs will come from project planning, construction, installation and operations required to meet this solar goal.

"Clean and renewable energy is going to be a growing share of India's energy mix in the coming years and decades. In addition to contributing to energy access and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, there is a clear third benefit which is jobs," said Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, CEEW.

In January, Narendra Modi and President Barack Obama solidified their shared commitment to fighting climate change and accelerating clean energy during the US-India summit, creating joint programmes to scale up renewable energy and create jobs through innovative transnational investment strategies.

"That commitment came on the heels of Modi government's announcement in November 2014 to quintuple the National Solar Mission goal for scaling up solar energy, increasing the target from 20GW to 100GW of grid-connected solar energy by 2022," the statement said.