India, China surpass US in renewable energy attractiveness index

India and China have surpassed the US at the top of the latest EY Renewable energy country attractiveness index (RECAI). The fall – the first for the US since 2015 – to third in the ranking of the top 40 countries follows a marked shift in US policy under the new administration.

India continued its upward trend in the index to second position with the Government’s program to build 175GW in renewable energy generation by 2022 and to have renewable energy account for 40 per cent of installed capacity by 2040. The country has added more than 10GW of solar capacity in the last three years – starting from a low base of 2.6GW in 2014.

Ben Warren, EY Global Power & Utilities Corporate Finance Leader and RECAI Chief Editor, says “Movements in the index illustrate the influence of policy on renewable energy investment and development – both productive and detrimental. Supportive policy and a long-term vision are critical to achieving a clean energy future.”