CHENNAI: The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has proposed a law to promote the use of renewable energy, Deepak Gupta, Secretary of the Ministry, said Thursday.
The Ministry has appointed a consultant to prepare a draft law, and the consultant’s report is expected to be ready in six months, he told reporters after taking part in the inauguration of the two-day International Congress on Renewable Energy. Discussions would be held with all stakeholders while the law was framed.
Answering a query, Mr. Gupta said the Ministry had cleared a proposal for two- megawatt solar power plant to be established in West Bengal under its scheme of grid-interactive solar energy (photovoltaic and thermal).
He refuted a suggestion that the scheme had failed. In view of the opinions of some States that the scheme had stipulated limitations on the capacity of individual plants and the period of incentive payment, another scheme, envisaging much higher capacity, was being contemplated, he said.
As for the Green Cities programme, Mr. Gupta said it had been planned to cover 60 cities, wherein the Ministry would help urban local bodies utilise renewable energy.
Asked whether the cities had been identified, he replied in the negative. It was for the local bodies to approach the Ministry for coverage under the scheme.
Earlier, addressing the Congress, Mr. Gupta said renewable energy now accounted for 8 per cent of the installed capacity of power plants in the country, and it might grow more than 10 per cent by 2012, when the renewable energy’s capacity would be over 15,000 MW.
Minister of State for Environment and Forests S. Regupathy inaugurated the Congress, which was organised by the Solar Energy Society of India (SESI), the Ministry, the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency, the Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency and the Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Mr. Regupathy said the promotion of renewable energy would not only address the issue of energy security but also the problem of environmental degradation.
Responding to Congress chair V. Bakthavatsalam’s suggestion for setting up climate change clubs in colleges, he said that initially, taluk-level committees could be formed to create awareness among the youth. He presented awards, including the lifetime achievement award to Lalita Balakrishnan, head, rural energy department, All-India Women’s Conference.
