Govt to Optimise Utilisation of Renewable Energy Sources

Sep 18, /2006 - newkerala.com

Government has stepped up efforts to make India, holding fourth place in wind energy generation after the US, Germany and Spain, scale up the ladder by optimum utilisation of renewable energy sources, a top official of Union Ministry of Non Conventional Energy Sources said. The capacity of wind energy generation in the country is 5,600 mw, V Subramanian, Secretary, Ministry of Non Conventional Energy Sources told a news conference after the annual general body meeting of the Wind Power Association (WPA) here today. "Environment-friendly" wind energy generation has to be encouraged in a big way to meet the ever-mounting energy demand of the country and this can be done by giving tax credit certificates to units coming forward to generate it, he said. In fact, private sector is playing a pivotal role in wind energy generation in the country and this can be further encouraged by giving such units tax credit certificates based on the electricity supplied to the grid, Subramanian said. Since investment in this sector is driven by 80 per cent depreciation and more investors are coming into it, one of the resolutions adopted at the annual general body meeting of the Wind Power Association (WPA) here today was to increase the level of depreciation from 80 per cent to 100 per cent. But this, however, should not be done, he said. Instead, providing tax benefits to units coming forward to produce wind energy would go a long way in increasing wind energy generation, Subramanian said.