Guwahati: Northeast India holds an estimated 130 GW of renewable energy potential, but only about 2.3 GW is currently planned for deployment, signalling a vast untapped investment opportunity in the region’s clean energy landscape.
The assessment was highlighted at the Northeast India Clean Energy Conclave 2026, hosted by International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iFOREST) at NEDFi House in Guwahati on Thursday.
The conclave brought together senior government leaders, regulators, industry representatives, financial institutions and technology providers to chart a structured roadmap for scaling up renewable energy across the Northeastern states.
Addressing the gathering, Mandvi Singh, Programme Director, iFOREST, said the Northeast is at a pivotal moment in India’s clean energy transition. She stressed that with strong hydro and solar resources and rising demand, the region can play a significant role in the country’s next phase of renewable growth, adding that the priority now is to convert identified opportunities into bankable projects through policy clarity, offtake certainty, and integrated storage and transmission planning.
Rising demand underscores urgency
Electricity demand in the Northeast is projected to increase by over 40 per cent by 2031–32. Official estimates indicate consumption could rise from 24,417 million units (MU) in 2025–26 to 34,572 MU in 2031–32, while peak demand is expected to grow from 4,996 MW to 7,192 MW.
Speakers noted that meeting this surge will require not only additional generation capacity but also a diversified, storage-backed and reliable power system supported by enhanced grid readiness and transmission planning.
Assam outlines policy push
Jadav Saikia, Secretary of Assam Power department, in his speech outlined the state’s recent policy initiatives to accelerate the clean energy transition.
He said Assam has notified its solar, pumped storage (PSP) and thermal power generation policies in 2025 to ensure a smoother transition. Three pumped storage projects with a combined capacity exceeding 3,000 MW are currently under development.
Saikia also highlighted the implementation of the PM Suryaghar Muft Bijli Yojana, under which more than 91,000 rooftop installations have been targeted in Assam, making it the leading state in the Northeast and among the top ten nationally. New photovoltaic projects with over 200 MW capacity are also in the pipeline.
He added that aggregate technical and commercial (T&C) losses in the distribution sector have been reduced to 14 per cent in 2023–24, describing assured and efficient power supply as a significant achievement.
Domestic investment critical
In his special address, former Chief Secretray Kumar Sanjay Krishna observed that global climate finance commitments remain uncertain amid ongoing geopolitical tensions, inflationary pressures and debt challenges.
He emphasised that domestic capital mobilisation and regional knowledge platforms such as iFOREST are essential to driving renewable energy growth in the Northeast.
Arup Misra, Chairman of the Assam Pollution Control Board, said renewable energy is not aimed at displacing fossil fuels overnight but at integrating a more flexible, reliable and variable energy delivery system.
From hydro backbone to diversified architecture
The Northeast’s renewable energy potential is largely dominated by hydro resources in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Meghalaya, complemented by expanding solar opportunities across Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram.
Despite nearly 9 per cent of India’s waterbodies and significant hydro and solar resources, installed renewable capacity in the region remains limited.
Discussions at the conclave centred on transitioning from a hydro-centric system to a diversified clean energy architecture integrating rooftop and distributed solar, floating solar and reservoir-based systems, pumped storage and battery energy storage systems (BESS), biomass and waste-to-energy projects, modernised small and run-of-river hydro, and smart distribution and grid-readiness solutions.