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India's
Renewable Energy Sector and Green Energy Index Unaffected by Global Economic
Slowdown
November 21, Bangalore: The global slowdown can be a tempting excuse for
most to put ecological concerns on the furlough. But India is moving purposefully
towards sustainable
development, understanding the fierce urgency for economically sound,
socially equitable and environmentally responsible progress.
At a time when renewables comprise
just 11.5% of energy source in the United States,
India
stands tall with renewables accounting for 32% of total electricity generation
capacity. Even China and Japan trail behind India at 21 and 20 per cent
respectively. Recent reports suggest the share of renewables in the Indian
electricity basket is expected to rise to 15 per cent by 2030 from less than
five per cent currently.
For developing countries like India, the
global slowdown is an avenue for replacing archaic infrastructures and
upgrading and building
transportation, communication,
energy and water
systems in a sustainable manner. "The flip side of the coin is the
enormous economic, social and environmental benefits likely to arise from
combating climate change and re-investing in natural infrastructure - benefits
ranging from new green jobs in clean tech and clean energy businesses up to
ones in sustainable agriculture and conservation-based enterprises," says
UNEP Executive Director, Achim Steiner, in a bid to offer up a sustainable
solution for the current global crisis.
Former U.S. Vice President and
Nobel Peace Laureate Al Gore agrees. In a recent article in the New York
Times, Al Gore is quoted as saying, "The bold steps that are needed to
solve the climate crisis are exactly the same steps that ought to be taken in
order to solve the economic crisis and the energy security crisis". And India is
listening.
The massive opportunity India
offers to deploy finance and technologies to create clean energy products and
services, which can leapfrog those employed in Western countries, has not gone
unnoticed by the investor
and business community and the government, says Dilip Thomas, Steering
Committee Member/Program Chair & CEO of Saltmarch
Media, the organizers of Green Energy Summit ( http://www.greenenergysummit.com/
), India’s first and biggest forum for Green Energy, Clean Technology
and Renewable
Energy stakeholders.
The Indian state of Karnataka, for
instance, has set itself a target of generating 5,450 Mw of renewable energy
resources in the state by 2012 and 11700 Mw by 2018. K Jairaj, Principal
Secretary of the State's Energy Department, and a member of the Green Energy Summit organizing team,
has said plans are on to unveil a new renewable energy policy in early 2009, to
boost energy production and consumption in the state. Jairaj says the policy
aims at creating appropriate channels to collaborate with industry, supporting
innovative technology, production and services, providing decentralised energy
supply to agriculture, industry and households, strengthening the grid system
and creating SEZs to promote renewable energy.
The oft-repeated statement that
subsidy-dependent Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) are not sustainable for
the long term have lessened. Tulsi R Tanti, chairman and managing director, Suzlon Energy,
recently noted that innovation and technology are rapidly reducing development
costs. Two years ago Suzlon was producing power [wind] at Rs. 5 per Kwh. In
2008 the cost has come down to Rs 3.5 per Kwh and it is set to come down by
another rupee if the rate of progress continues.
Barack Obama's election as the
president of the United States
is also expected to give a fillip to India's renewable energy plans. The
44th US President believes
the US should be involved in
partnerships with developing countries, such as India
and China,
to provide funding and access to intellectual property that they need and
desire. The President-elect understands that tackling the global challenge of
climate change requires US
leadership, and has reconfirmed his campaign promise to invest $15 billion a
year in low-carbon energy, including solar, wind, nuclear and next-generation
biofuels.
India has many RE laurels to its
credit, says Dr.
Arcot Ramachandran, chairperson of Green
Energy Summit 2009 and Former UN Under Secretary General. It has the
world’s largest decentralized solar energy program, ranks second in the global
renewable energy “Attractiveness Index” poll, operates the world’s 2nd largest
biogas program, ranks 4th as a global 'Wind Super Power'
and fifth in the world in terms of exploitable hydro electricity
generation.
With the Indian market heating up
while others worlwide freeze over, be seen, be heard and be noticed in India's
first summit completely focused on what going green can do for you and your
organisation. Green
Energy Summit 2009 is a world-class forum for varied stakeholders from solar, wind, biomass, IT, transport, biofuels, construction, aviation, nanotechnology
and biotechnology
to make their presence felt and attract attention that matters. The summit will be held March 3-7 2009 in Bangalore, India.
GES 2009 is supported by Govt. of India
(DST), MNRE, WCRE, IREDA, BEE, Govt. of Karnataka and several other
governmental and bi-lateral agencies. Confirmed speakers include Jairam Ramesh (Minister
of State for Commerce and Industry and Minister of State for Power, Government
of India), Dr. R K
Pachauri, Dr. Hermann
Scheer (President, World Council for Renewable Energy (WCRE) and
EUROSOLAR), Dr. Jamshed J.
Irani (Director, TATA Sons Limited), Pramod Deo (Chairperson,
Central Electricity Regulatory Commission), Dr. Dan Arvizu (Director,
NREL), Michael T. Eckhart (President,
ACORE), H.E. Clini Corrado
(Director General, Ministry for the Environment Land and Sea, Italy and Chair,
Global Bioenergy Partnership), Christopher Flavin
(President, World Watch Institute), Marianne Osterkorn (REEEP
- Director General), Mohamed
El Ashry (Chairman REN21), Dr. Yogi Goswami (Former
President, ISES) and Thomas
B. Johansson (Director, IIIEE & Co-recipient, Nobel Peace Prize, 2007).
For further information on GES
2009, please visit the summit on the web http://www.greenenergysummit.com/
A Saltmarch Media Press Release
E: info@greenenergysummit.com
Ph: +91 80 4005 1000
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