The
CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre organised 'Green Power
2005', a two-day national conference cum exposition on renewable
energy in Chennai recently. Mr G M Pillai, Director General, WISE,
was one of the key speakers at the plenary session, where he spoke
on 'Power sector policy modalities for encouraging grid connected
renewable power in India'. In his presentation, Mr. Pillai said
that renewable energy could contribute significantly to India's
energy security. But the renewable industry lacks the detailed
scientific studies and statistics to back this statement. He
therefore urged the industry to play a more active role in
initiating such studies - as done in Germany and the US - and
formulating energy related policies. He further added that
dependence on oil and coal imports to meet our energy needs is
jeopardising the energy security of our nation as well as putting
a severe strain on the exchequer. Hence, encouraging renewable
energy initiatives is the need of the hour.
Mr
Ramesh Kymal, Chairman, Green Power 2005, and Chairman, Renewable
Energy Council, CII-GBC, spoke of the need to draw up a national
level renewable energy policy. He added that the state electricity
regulatory commissions should specify the renewable portfolio
standard (RPS) and suggested that a renewable energy fund be
created through a ‘green cess’ on the conventional electricity
consumed, which could provide credit guarantee for green power
projects. Readers may be aware that both the RPS as well as green
cess have already been introduced in Maharashtra, thanks to the
pioneering efforts of Mr G M Pillai, who was then Director
General, Maharashtra Energy Development Agency (MEDA), Pune. (For
details refer Nov-Dec 2004 issue of GEW). WISE was an active
participant at the conference and had set up its stall displaying
various information material and publications of the institute.
The stall received a tremendous response from the audience who
evinced an enthusiastic interest in the activities of the
institute. The Minister for Electricity and Transport, Govt. of
Tamil Nadu, Mr R Viswanathan, made a special visit to the WISE
stall along with Mr R Satpathy, Secretary for Energy, Govt. of
Tamil Nadu. The minister appreciated the efforts made by WISE in
promoting renewable energy in the country.
