Sagar Adani, the nephew of Asia's second-richest man, is hoping that India can chart a new course as it responds to increasing energy demands.
As detailed by CNN, this involves the construction of a massive clean-energy plant that is visible from space and five times bigger than Paris, spanning more than 200 square miles.
The plant, which is being built by Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL) and will be the largest of its kind in the world, is expected to provide non-polluting power to 16 million homes when it's completed in five years.
"I don't even do the math anymore," Adani, AGEL's executive director, said in an interview with the news outlet regarding the incredible scope of the solar and wind project.
Adani's uncle Gautam Adani is worth an estimated $100 billion thanks to the Adani Group, which is India's "biggest importer of coal and a leading miner of the dirty fuel," per CNN.
Some have criticized the Adanis for their continued investment in dirty energy and operation of coal mines, as coal is the most polluting type of energy there is. Exposure to fine particles from coal-fired plants has been linked to "double the risk of mortality than PM2.5 from other sources," according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Solar and wind, on the other hand, can reduce electric bills and don't release harmful pollution that not only causes health issues but also has been linked to rising global temperatures and extreme weather, including deadly heat waves that India has been grappling with.
As reported by CNN, Sagar Adani envisions that the clean-energy plant, dubbed the Khavda Renewable Energy Park, will help the country meet its pollution-reduction goals and growing energy needs without blackouts. Last year, India became the most populous nation in the world.
Adani also acknowledged that making the switch to renewables was vital to the future health of the planet.
"If India does what China did, if India does what Europe did, if India does what the U.S. did, then we are all in for a very, very bleak climatic future," Adani told the outlet of their historic reliance on dirty energy as they developed their infrastructure.
AGEL's plant, which is situated 12 miles from Pakistan in the state of Gujarat, is expected to have minimal impact on the ecosystem where it's being built. According to Adani: "There's no wildlife, there's no vegetation, there's no habitation. There is no better alternative use of that land."
"AGEL continues to set higher global benchmarks and rewrite the world's planning and execution standards for giga-scale renewable energy projects. This milestone is a validation of the Adani Group's commitment and leading role in accelerating India's equitable clean energy transition journey," Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani said in an official media release by the company.
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