Wind energy industry seeks stable policy

The wind energy industry has sought stability and convergence in policies to fully harness the potential of the resource across the country.

"The need of the hour is a stable policy and setting up of renewabl energy management centres for streamlining forecasting and scheduling of wind power," industry representatives said in a statement here on Tuesday.

Blaming uncertain policies for their apprehension, Acciona Energy managing director Glen Reccani said though the cost of wind power per MW was the cheapest in the country, he would think twice before investing in the country owing to lack of assurances in policies and incentives and ill-health of the state-run power utilities.

Acciona Energy is a subsidiary of the Madrid-based Spanish firm, which develops renewable energy projects, including small hydro, biomass, solar energy and thermal energy and marketing of biofuels.

"We think twice about setting up shop in India due to lack of assurance in policies and incentives. We would like to receive our money on time," Reccani asserted in the statement.

Though the country has an installed capacity of 10,000 MW annually, less than 50 percent of the capacity is being used as states with surplus wind energy potential have shut their wind mills due to lack of power scheduling.

"As a result, wind energy usage in the country has plunged to 1,500 MW from 3,000 MW over the last two years. The government's ambitious 60 GW target has not attracted the stakeholders in the sector to invest in setting up wind mills," the statement pointed out.

At the fourth wind discussion form held here on Monday, Karnataka's additional chief secretary for energy P. Ravikumar lamented that the state was producing only 103 MW of wind power despite an installed capacity of 2,500 ME.

Organised by the Centre for Study of Science Technology and Policy (C-STEP), Idam Infrastructure Advisory and Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, the forum discussed various issues pertaining to the sector and sought early solutions to various problems faced by the industry on land allotment, grid integration, absence of power markets, poor financial health of utilities, lack of access to finances at affordable interest rates and incentives on setting up wind mills.