India committed to incentivising use of clean energy: Montek

Govt will have to take a "difficult decision" by incorporating clean energy into the integrated energy policy

The government today expressed its commitment to incentivise use of clean energy with a view to encourage domestic production and usage.

"We are interested in incentivising the use of clean energy. We are also interested in creating a viable and competitive domestic production base," Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said in his address at the Fourth Clean Energy Ministerial here.

The big increase in clean energy will come from wind, solar and biomass, Ahluwalia said, adding the government will have to take "difficult decision" by incorporating them into the integrated energy policy.

"China has invested 10 times more than us in clean energy. We have to increase the percentage of clean energy and need to integrate all forms of clean energy", he said.

The focus on clean energy, according to Ahluwalia, should not be to resolve short term problem but it should be to make the globe a better place to live say from 20 years from now.

He further said that countries were putting forward their experiences and "we are studying them and after that we will put forward our experience also".

Referring to shale gas, Ahlwualia said that its potential and implications were needed to be examined. "We don't have a plan for that as yet, but that wouldn't stop us from putting in place regulatory framework for shale gas," he added.

On pooling of coal prices, he said, there was not much of a choice in view of the shortages being faced by the companies.

"You can either pool prices or allocate (domestic fuel) in certain quantities and then buy coal from overseas at a higher price... And then pass on (the additional cost) in the tariff," Ahluwalia said.