Clean energy crosses 62 GW mark; solar over 16W, wind 32.7GW

The country's renewable energy capacity stood at 62.05 GW by November 2017, which includes 32.75 GW of wind energy and 16.61GW of solar power, Parliament was informed today.
"A total of 62.05 GW of renewable energy capacity has been installed as on November 30, 2017 which includes 32.75 GW from wind, 16.61 GW from solar, 8.29 GW from bio-power and 4.40 GW from small hydro power (up to 25 MW)," Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha today.
The minister informed the House that the power generated from these sources is fed into the grid and then utilised by distribution companies to provide the same to consumers.

The government has fixed a target of installing 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022, which includes 100 GW from solar, 60 GW from wind, 10 GW from Bio-power and 5 GW from Small Hydro power.
In a separate reply to the House, Singh said that tidal energy cannot be presently harnessed on commercial basis due to high capital cost ranging from Rs 30 crore to 60 crore per MW.
Solar, wind and thermal power cost around Rs 6 crore per MW for creating new capacities as per industry information

Singh told the House that there is an estimated potential of about 8000 MW of tidal energy with 7000 MW in the Gulf of Kambhat, 1200 MW in the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat, and about 100 MW in the Gangetic delta in Sunderbans in West Bengal.

The minister also told the House that the peak power supply deficit in April-November this fiscal was 2 per cent in the country as 160.75 billion units (BU) was supplied against the peak demand of 164.06 BU.
Similarly, he informed the house that energy deficit was recorded at 0.7 per cent in April-November this fiscal as 809.49 BU was supplied against the demand of 815.34 BU.
According to the load generation balancing report of the Central Electricity Authority for 2017-18, India would become power surplus nation.
It had said, "All India power supply position indicates that the country is likely to have a peak surplus of 6.8 per cent and energy surplus of 8.8 per cent.