Are Renewables Still The Live Wire?

After flaring up significantly, the incandescence in the renewable energy sector seems to be paling, raising posers about the 2022 target for a 175 MW capacity in clean energy, says Anurit Kanti.

- Anurit Kanti

AT THE INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ALLIANCE Forum of the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi in January, Union Minister of State for Power and Renewable Energy, Raj Kumar Singh, exulted that India had one of the fastest growing renewable energy programmes in the world. He emphasised that India would have 175 GW of renewable energy installations “well before” the targeted date of 2020. The pace and flurry with which solar, wind and hydel projects sprouted up during the 2016-17 fiscal, did indeed, suggest as much.

“The government has persevered to build and strengthen India’s renewable energy sector in the last four years, and its achievements are reflected in the way the share of renewables in India’s total energy capacity has risen to almost 19 per cent by 2017-end,” says Mahesh Makhija, Director, Business Development and Commercial (Renewables), CLP India (wind farms).

Tulsi Tanti, Founder and MD of Suzlon Group adds, “Renewable energy has entered an exciting new phase and its growth is unstoppable. Once considered a niche industry dependent on government subsidies, today it is driven largely by economic realities, improved reliability and cost competitiveness backed by proven technology. Renewables, specifically wind and solar today are not only cleaner, but also more affordable than coal”.

As a nation that still banks on dirty coal for 60 per cent of its power generation, the renewable energy target is somewhat sacrosanct, for it vindicates India’s commitment to battle climate change and global warming. “With the commitment made in the Paris Agreement, the sector will continue to be driven by targets and government support,” Makhija says with confidence.