The Northeast India Clean Energy Conclave was organised in Guwahati on Thursday, bringing together senior government leaders, regulators, industry representatives, financial institutions and technology providers to help chart a structured roadmap for renewable energy scale-up across the Northeastern states.
Organised by the International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iFOREST) at NEDFi House as a dedicated regional knowledge and investment platform, the conclave focused on unlocking the region’s estimated 130 GW renewable energy potential.
With nearly nine percent of India’s waterbodies and significant hydro and solar resources, the Northeast has the potential to anchor India’s next phase of clean energy expansion. However, installed renewable capacity remains limited, underscoring a substantial opportunity for developers, financiers and technology providers.
Presenting the Northeast’s clean energy growth opposrtunity, Mandvi Singh, programme director, iFOREST, said “The Northeast stands at a pivotal moment in India’s clean energy transition. With strong hydro and solar resources and rising demand, it can play a significant role in the country’s next phase of renewable growth.”
“The priority now is to convert identified opportunities into bankable projects through policy clarity, offtake certainty, and integrated storage and transmission planning,” Singh said.
Arup Misra, chairman, Assam Pollution Control board said,” Renewable energy is not trying to push fossil fuel out. It is trying to integrate a more variable, reliable and flexible energy delivery system.”
The conclave was inaugurated by Jadav Saikia, secretary (power), Government of Assam, who said, “Assam has notified it’s solar, PSP and thermal power generation policy in 2025 so that future clean energy transition becomes smooth and easy. Currently, three PSP projects are in progress of capacities more than 3000 MW capacity.”
The Northeast is projected to witness a steady rise in electricity demand—from 24,417 MU in 2025–26 to 34,572 MU in 2031–32, with peak demand expected to increase from 4,996 MW to 7,192 MW. Meeting this demand reliably will require not only additional capacity but a diversified, flexibility-oriented power system.
The region’s renewable energy potential is dominated by hydro resources in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Meghalaya, complemented by expanding solar opportunities across Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram. Solar deployment, though nascent, is gaining traction with supportive state policies and pilot initiatives, including battery energy storage and floating solar projects.
