Expert urges government to halt ecologically harmful pumped storage projects, favour battery storage instead

By A Representative 

Power and climate policy analyst Shankar Sharma has issued a strong appeal to the Union Government to urgently reconsider its growing reliance on Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) and instead prioritize Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) for India’s future energy security. In a detailed letter sent to the Secretaries of Power, New & Renewable Energy, and Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Sharma has highlighted the ecological, technical, and economic superiority of BESS over PSPs—particularly in the context of protecting fragile ecosystems like the Sharavati River Valley in Karnataka’s Western Ghats.

The letter has also been copied to key cabinet ministers including Shripad Yesso Naik, Pralhad Joshi, Manohar Lal, and Bhupender Yadav, as well as to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging a policy pause and comprehensive review.

Sharma points out that PSPs, though not net energy generators, are being pursued at a massive scale, with 105 GW capacity proposed across India. He warns that these projects will lead to large-scale forest loss, biodiversity destruction, and disruption to riverine ecosystems. One such proposal, for a 2,000 MW PSP inside the Sharavati LTM Sanctuary, is already pending with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). “There is a critical need to objectively compare the preference being given to PSPs with the relative advantages of BESS,” Sharma wrote, adding that proceeding without this diligence amounts to “wanton disregard of the Constitutional mandate” to protect the environment.

Citing the Central Electricity Authority’s National Electricity Plan 2023, Sharma emphasizes that while PSPs are projected to contribute 540 GWh of storage capacity by 2047, BESS is expected to provide 1,840 GWh—over three times more. He suggests that the ceiling for PSP expansion has already been factored in by national planners, making BESS the logical path forward.

Referencing recent technological developments, Sharma notes that grid-scale BESS is rapidly transforming power sectors worldwide—including in the US, China, and Australia. In particular, he highlights a major tender floated by the Gujarat government for a 2,000 MW / 4,000 MWh standalone BESS project, which mirrors the capacity of the Sharavati PSP proposal but without the massive environmental costs. “Smaller BESS units—like 50 MW * 2 hour systems—can be deployed across substations, avoid new transmission lines, and not require a single tree to be cut,” Sharma argues. “In contrast, PSPs demand enormous infrastructure in eco-sensitive zones.”

He also cited a recent agreement signed between JSW Renew Energy and BESCOM in Karnataka for a 100 MW solar project integrated with 100 MWh BESS, proving the feasibility and growing acceptance of this model in the Indian context.

Sharma further advocates for complementary solutions such as grid-forming inverters to stabilize frequency without rotating mass, repurposing existing hydroelectric dams for peak hour operations, time-of-day metering and load shifting to reduce peak demand, and encouraging consumer-level battery storage and solar installations. These measures, he says, can collectively reduce or eliminate the need for PSPs.

In his concluding appeal, Sharma calls on the Union government to pause all environmental, forest and wildlife clearances being routinely granted to PSP proposals until full techno-economic assessments are conducted for each. Specifically, he requests that the application by Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd. (KPCL) for the Sharavati LTM Sanctuary PSP be kept in abeyance, pending comprehensive review.

“India must not sacrifice irreplaceable ecological treasures for outdated and environmentally damaging technologies,” Sharma writes. With global momentum shifting rapidly toward decentralized, modular, and low-impact energy storage systems, Sharma’s letter raises a compelling case for policymakers to rethink India's renewable energy transition strategy before irreversible ecological damage is done.