The Northeast India Clean Energy Conclave, held in Guwahati, gathered senior government officials, industry representatives, regulators, financial institutions, and technology providers to develop a roadmap for scaling up renewable energy in the region. Organized by the International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iFOREST) at NEDFi House, the conclave aimed to harness the Northeast’s estimated 130 GW renewable energy potential, given its rich hydro and solar resources and nearly nine percent of India’s waterbodies. However, current installed renewable capacity is limited, presenting significant opportunities for developers and financiers.
Mandvi Singh, iFOREST’s programme director, emphasized the Northeast’s pivotal role in India’s clean energy transition, highlighting the importance of turning identified opportunities into bankable projects through enhanced policy clarity, offtake certainty, and robust storage and transmission planning. Arup Misra, chairman of the Assam Pollution Control Board, noted that renewable energy aims to create a more variable, reliable, and flexible energy system rather than simply replacing fossil fuels.
The conclave was inaugurated by Jadav Saikia, secretary of the Government of Assam’s power department, who mentioned Assam’s comprehensive solar, pumped storage, and thermal power generation policy set for 2025. Currently, the state is advancing three pumped storage projects exceeding 3000 MW in capacity. Projections for the Northeast indicate a rise in electricity demand from 24,417 MU in 2025-26 to 34,572 MU by 2031-32, with peak demand expected to escalate from 4,996 MW to 7,192 MW. Addressing this growing demand necessitates enhancing capacity and implementing a diverse, flexible power system.
The region’s renewable energy prospects are strongest in hydro resources located in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Meghalaya, further supported by solar initiatives in Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram. Although solar deployment is in its infancy, it is gaining momentum aided by state policies and pilot initiatives such as battery energy storage and floating solar projects.