ABSTRACT
Public sector utilities have historically been pivotal in the nation’s growth and development, fostering technological localisation and building skilled workforces. It has played critical roles in shaping India’s power sector, significantly contributing to energy security and economic growth. As India inches towards its ambitious renewable energy targets, including generating 500 GW of renewable capacity by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2070, the transition journey is also characterised by shifting landscape of public and private participation in the energy transition.
Essential sector utilities are inherently monopolistic in nature. Their failure shall have broader social, economic, and political implications; requiring government intervention to abate such risks often at the cost of public exchequer. 1 In this context, our chapter seeks to explore the key international experiences including Brazil, the UK and Germany to inform discourse on public and private sector participation in the clean energy transition. The chapter shall attempt to challenge the absolute confidence in private sector to lead clean energy transition by drawing from their performance in key utility sectors such as railways, banking, water and energy.
