AndhraNews.Net - Annual Renewable Energy Conference Inaugurated

New Delhi: May 9, 2003

Shri M. Kannappan, Minister of State (Independent charge) for Non-conventional Energy Sources has urged the State governments to intensify resource studies for wind, small hydro, biomass, solar and urban and industrial wastes to assess the overall potential and identify specific sites for project development. Shri Kannappan was speaking at the two day Annual Conference on Renewable Energy, which he inaugurated here today. The Minister said that the States should initiate dialogue with their Electricity Regulatory Commissions to bring about preferential tariff structures for grid power from renewables. Detailed guidelines for tariff, wheeling, banking etc. have been formulated, he added.

The Minister said that his ministry was making efforts to commercialise the technology for generating energy under the urban and Industrial Wastes Programme. Time has come to encourage single or mixed feed biogas plants of higher capacity for captive generation to enlarge the scope of the programme and the beneficiaries. The Minister said that about 900 remote villages have been electrified under the village electrification programme launched by the Ministry. He added that for proper upkeep of the systems installed participation of NGOs and the creation of 'Energy Service Companies' need to be further explored. There is an urgent need to promote sale counters for easy procurement of renewable energy systems and devices and if necessary, private companies can be involved.

Earlier, Shri Ajai Vikram Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources, said that the plans and targets of the Ministry cannot be implemented without the active involvement of different agencies at the State level. He said that while wind power has attained commercialisation, biomass power is near commercial, small hydro power is a mix of State and commercial projects, solar energy still requires considerable support by the Government. Our efforts should be to bring about all round commercial development of the sector in order to ensure its sustainability in the long term, he added.

The two-day Annual Conference has been convened by the Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources at New Delhi, and is being attended by Secretaries of State Governments, Chief Executive Officers of the State Nodal Agencies and senior officers from various central Ministries and Department. The theme of the Conference this year is the overall approach towards promotion of renewable energy sources.

A Special issue of Urja Bharati on 'Solar Architecture' was released by Shri Kannappan during the Inaugural function. The special issue contains various technical, engineering, economic aspects about solar passive buildings. A compendium on Small Hydro Power prepared by IIT Roorkee was also released on the occasion by the Minister.

Press Release by: PIB/SRK/CS.MNES.9.5.03

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