India chasing solar power with money from the rich

It’s a common theme in this world economy to see less fortunate people point toward the rich and ask for a redistribution of wealth. That same vein may be driving India’s position on accomplishing its solar power plan, which is to demand cheap financing and low cost solar power parts from developed nations.

That plan would place 20GW of solar power at the fingertips of Indians by the year 2020. Right now some 400 million Indians don’t have any electricity and this plan would be a major step toward providing energy for a rapidly expanding nation and also avoid an overspill of pollution.

Pollution is one of India’s major bargaining chips with developed nations, because it claims sustainability is everyone’s responsibility. The logic follows, if everyone shares that responsibility then help the country move toward modernization in a green way. Essentially India is asking the world to put its money where its mouth is.

There’s a silver lining for any countries that choose to participate too. Even if companies provide goods and services at near cost (or even slightly below) they’re driving economies of scale which could drive the overall production cost down. It’s an important point for solar power, which traditionally is expensive for the average consumer even with existing government subsidies.

India’s environment minister Jairam Ramesh says,

There is simply no case for the pressure that we, who have been among the lowest emitters per capita, [have] to actually reduce emissions. According to The Guardian.

Underlying that statement is a perspective from undeveloped nations that countries like the United States became rich through their use of fossil fuels. It makes sense to them that rich nations should use some of that wealth, which has already caused pollution, to help incoming nations find their own success. China supports this opinion as well.

At this point, the amount of money the plan requires is still unclear, but India is demanding support from the international community, the world’s reaction will likely mold many future projects with its precedent.