How Clean Energy is Building Resilience at the National Level

Ashish Khanna Director General, International Solar Alliance

Resilience is now a core feature of national systems, extending beyond emergency response and risk management. Robust energy frameworks in today's global shocks are essential for energy security, which translates to national security. The International Solar Alliance (ISA) delivers on the principle that solar-driven energy transitions are key to national resilience. For many ISA Member Countries, solar electrification supports both climate and economic objectives. Integrating resilience into policy, as demonstrated by Bhutan and Sri Lanka, strengthens economic and national stability.

Bhutan: strengthening an already clean system

Bhutan is recognized as one of Asia’s leading energy success stories. The country is constitutionally carbon-negative and relies primarily on hydropower. Clean energy has shaped Bhutan’s development for decades, yet even robust systems require diversification to maintain resilience. Hydropower, though reliable and well managed, is seasonal. In winter, reduced river flows can cause energy shortfalls, often addressed through imports. Solar energy complements hydropower by providing clean, distributed power that aligns with daytime demand. Bhutan’s National Energy Policy 2025 outlines a pathway to 5,000 MW of solar by 2040, contributing to a broader goal of 25,000 MW of installed capacity. ISA’s Country Partnership Strategy with the Royal Government of Bhutan implements this vision.

The strategy addresses the full resilience chain, encompassing solar design tools for feasibility assessments, institutional capacity building through the STAR Centre at the College for Science and Technology in Phuentsholing, policy and regulatory support, blended finance mechanisms for distributed solar, and reforms to tariffs and power purchase agreements. These measures support project readiness for solar parks, agri-PV, and battery energy storage systems, as well as streamlined licensing frameworks to attract private investment.

Integrating energy planning with broader development objectives is equally critical. The Net-Zero Solar Concept for Gelephu Mindfulness City illustrates how prioritizing clean energy, sustainable mobility, and livelihoods development can deliver resilient power systems, fiscal stability, job creation, and increased local economic value. Holistic urban design can therefore serve as a powerful driver of both energy innovation and long-term economic resilience.

A global context that demands structural solutions

These national efforts are taking place in a global context that underscores their urgency. Repeated geopolitical shocks have revealed the fiscal and strategic risks of import dependence. Currently, 75% of the world’s population lives in fossil-fuel-importing countries. In 2024, net importers spent an estimated $1.7 trillion on fossil fuels, with each $10-per-barrel increase in oil prices adding about $160 billion annually to global import costs.

 

This is not a temporary disruption requiring a one-off solution. It is a structural vulnerability that drains public finances, weakens trade balances, and limits investment in health, education, and infrastructure. In this context, resilience means permanently reducing exposure rather than repeatedly absorbing shocks. Solar-powered electrification enables this shift. Solar assets provide reliable power for decades, eliminate fuel costs and price volatility, and convert import liabilities into productive domestic assets, enhancing energy and economic security.

Sri Lanka: from recovery to enduring resilience

This same approach guides ISA’s partnership with Sri Lanka, where solar deployment is seen as a foundation of economic resilience. With over 1GW of installed solar capacity and a target of 4GW by 2030, Sri Lanka is well-positioned to accelerate electrification across its economy. The ISA Country Partnership Strategy, developed with the Government of Sri Lanka, prioritizes building durable systems over standalone projects.

Key elements include developing a national solar energy roadmap, strengthening project preparation and bankability, regulatory reforms to attract private investment, institutional strengthening through centers of excellence such as the STAR Centre at the University of Moratuwa, and the adoption of advanced technologies like floating solar and battery storage. Digital approval processes and coordinated planning further enhance grid stability and efficient scaling.

This strategy is resilient because it develops institutional skills and capacity. The key takeaway is that embedding expertise within national systems ensures the energy transition supports job creation, industrial growth, and sustained policy continuity.

From ambition to architecture

Bhutan and Sri Lanka demonstrate that resilience can be a concrete architecture established at the national level through risk-aware policies, capable institutions, and infrastructure that reduces exposure.

This experience extends beyond Bhutan and Sri Lanka. Across Africa, Asia, and small island states, national resilience depends on energy transitions that secure food, economies, and overall security. ISA’s work with over 120 Member Countries supports the central argument that solar adoption is the foundation of resilient, low-cost systems that protect nations from external volatility. These countries make it clear that delaying action results in measurable and increasing costs. The solution requires bold, accelerated transformation, driven by trusted partnerships and focused on lasting national strength.