CB BureauThe government proposes to create 30,000 MW of fresh generating capacity from renewable sources of energy during the 12th five-year plan (2012″17). This will bring India’s overall renewable power capacity to 56,267 MW.
The country’s power-generating capacity based on renewable sources currently stands at 26,267 MW, Minister for New and Renewable Energy Dr Farooq Abdullah informed the Lok Sabha. He said the plan was to raise the share of renewable power to 6-8 per cent of the country’s total generation capacity. This means that a major part of the power generated will still be from thermal and hydropower sources.
The government is implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission (JNNSM) to promote the use of solar energy for power generation and other applications in the country. The mission alone envisages installation of 20,000 MW capacities by the year 2022.
So far, 1,045 MW of solar power projects have been installed in the country, Dr Abdullah informed. He said the government was in the process of implementing a project entitled ‘Ladakh Renewable Energy Initiative’ to minimize dependence on diesel in the Ladakh region and meet power requirement through local renewable sources. The approach was to meet power requirements through small/micro hydel and solar photovoltaic power projects/systems and use solar thermal systems for water heating/space heating/cooking requirements. The project envisages setting up of solar power plants in 70 villages and 120 institutions.
Dr Abdullah further informed that the government had received proposals from state government-identified implementing agencies under the remote village electrification (RVE) programme, seeking financial support for creation of facilities for lighting/basic electricity through renewable energy sources in those remote, unelectrified villages and unelectrified hamlets where grid extension was not found feasible.