'Steps taken to boost power generation through renewable energy'

Bangalore, Sep 18 (UNI) The Union Government has stepped up efforts to increase power generation through renewable energy sources to raise India to the fourth position after the US, Germany and Spain, Union Non-Conventional Energy Secretary V Subramanian said today.

Talking to newspersons on the sidelines of the annual general body meeting of the Wind Power Association here, he said the capacity of wind energy generation in the country was 5,600 MW.

Power generation through ''green or environment-friendly'' wind source should be encouraged in a big way to meet the ever-increasing demand.

Lauding the role played by private sector in increasing wind energy generation, Mr Subramanian said this sector could be further encouraged by issuing tax credit certificates based on the electricity supplied to the grid.

He said that since investment in this sector was driven by 80 per cent depreciation and more investment was coming into it, one of the resolutions adopted at the AGM today was to increase the level of depreciation to 100 per cent. ''This, however, should not be done. Instead providing tax benefits will go a long way in increasing wind energy generation.'' Mr Subramanian said Power Distribution Companies should be empowered to buy power generated through renewable energy directly, instead of State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) fixing the percentage of renewable energy to be purchased. ''Renewable energy sector should be made a buyer's market instead of a seller's market,'' he added.

Stating that lack of appropriate service providing agencies were impeding the growth of the sector, he said engineers should be trained and help should be extended to them from small companies that offer such services.

In 2005-06, renewable energy sources contributed ten billion units of electricity to the national grid.

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