Sustainability Assessment of Renewable Energy Technologies in Context to India Using Multicriteria Analysis with and without Incorporating Risk Analysis

Sustainability assessment at a national scale is a complex task that ought to be seen with a range of conflicting indicators and multicriteria analysis (MCA) is the best approach that can address these conflicts. The study aims for a comprehensive sustainability assessment of renewable energy (RE) technologies in India based on MCA and examines the impact of associated social and environmental risks on the overall sustainability ranking. Large hydropower is evaluated as the most sustainable RE technology in context to India under selected indicators. Contrary to this, large hydropower has also been identified with the highest social and environmental risks. Therefore, in a developing country like India, the techno-economic advantages of large hydropower with its significant untapped potential cannot be overlooked. Hence, there arises a need to enhance the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process. Thus, the study recommends a transparent process for public participation in EIA for comprehensive and effective social and environmental risk management of the project to achieve the goal of sustainable development.