India and UK have unveiled an ambitious plan for the world’s first transnational network of interconnected solar power grids—Green Grids Initiative: One Sun One World One Grid at COP26 at Glasgow.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart Boris Johnson on Tuesday announced first transnational network of solar grids – Green Grids Initiative: One Sun One World One Grid – at the UN Climate Conference, also known as the Conference of Parties (COP26) in Glasgow.
The aim of these power grids will be to provide the world clean energy drawn from the sun through a series of interconnected grids. Australia, France, India, the US and UK are the main members of the initiative, which has the backing of 80 members of the 99 nation strong International Solar Alliance (ISA).
Addressing the event at Glasgow, PM Narendra Modi said that fossil fuels had spurred the industrial revolution, but they had impoverished the environment.
“The challenge is that solar energy is available only in the day and is also dependent on weather. ‘One Sun, One World, One Grid’ is the answer to this challenge. With a worldwide grid, clean energy will be available everywhere, every time. This will lessen the need for storage and increase the viability of solar projects,” PM Modi said.
“With this creative initiative, the carbon footprint will be reduced, and the cost of energy will also come down. It will also foster a spirit of cooperation among different countries and regions of the world,” Mr PM added.
In his remarks, Johnson said that the UK was “working hand-in-hand with our friends in India to transform the future of the power sector and ensure clean and reliable electricity is accessible everywhere by the end of this decade.”
“It’s fantastic that more than 80 countries have backed our newly launched Green Grids Initiative, whose collaboration will not only see greater growth, jobs and investment in our global green future but also make sure no one is left without access to energy,” he said.