Blinded by sunspots: Revealing the multidimensional and intersectional inequities of solar energy in India

Abstract

Studies of energy transitions have historically lacked a holistic, multi-scalar and multi-site accounting of social and environmental impacts of projects. Scholars increasingly point to the need for integrated studies that highlight impacts at various stages of lifecycles and scales of governance in the normative pursuit of energy justice. In this study, we examine the social and environmental inequities within the solar PV value chain in India from multiple scales using an original dataset and comparative case study approach, including multiple site visits and embedded ethnography. We utilized a mixed methodological approach to data collection that included household surveys (n = 120), semi-structured interviews (n = 43), focus group discussions (n = 6) and naturalistic observation (n = 9 site visits over 24 days) across the states of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Delhi and Tamil Nadu at six different locations. We buttress recent work examining solar injustices from a ‘whole systems’ perspective, taking a multidimensional approach through an intersectional lens. Drawing from fieldwork and the literatures of energy justice and political ecology, we ask : What are the social and ecological impacts or equity concerns of each stage of the solar photovoltaic value chain in India? At each solar node, there are demographic, spatial, interspecies and temporal inequities occurring. Demographic inequities include resource dispossession, loss of livelihoods and hazards exposure for marginalized groups. Spatial inequities include distributional injustices for capital and electricity, rural land enclosures and substandard infrastructure. Interspecies inequities include ecosystem contamination, habitat destruction and imperiling wildlife. Temporal inequities include time burdens placed on marginalized groups, multi-decadal time horizons for inequitable projects to pay off and the long-term degradation of the environment. We conclude by reflecting on the stakes of solar development in India and offering policy recommendations that could engender a more equitable solar sector and chart future research agendas.