Govt planning $1 bn fund for renewable energy sector: Goyal

Ahead of the Paris climate talks beginning on Monday, Union Minister Piyush Goyal today said the government is planning a USD 1 billion private equity fund for the renewable energy sector.
"We are planning a USD one billion private equity fund for renewable energy sector, initially seeded by government companies," the Power and Coal Minister said during the 'Talkathon' event on the Paris conference.
He further said the government is also seeking to collect USD 4 billion per year in the next three-four years for a clean energy fund.
The Talkathon was organised to highlight India's efforts in the run up to the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris (COP21).

Goyal and Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar interacted with Twitterati, who asked questions related to the country's participation in COP21.
COP21 is scheduled from November 30 to December 11.

"India started with a good experiment, Science Express, on climate change," Javadekar said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch International Solar Alliance on November 30, along with President Francois Hollande of France, Goyal added.
The purpose of the Solar Alliance is to forge a partnership with countries in the tropical region which receive abundant sunlight, Goyal said.
Goyal further said that on the back of falling prices and technological innovations, the government is confident of meeting its 1,75,000 MW renewable energy target by 2022.

"We are engaging with MIT and Australia for developing clean coal technologies," Goyal added.
Stating that India is one of the lowest consumers of coal per capita in the world, Goyal said, "In 2015, India consumes what the US was consuming in 1920."
India has been a responsible user of fossil fuels, Goyal said, adding that, "We are taxing carbon more than any other country in the world."
The government has received a funding of one billion euros from Germany for Green Energy Corridor, he added.
Goyal further said that 77 crore conventional bulbs will be replaced by energy-efficient LED bulbs by 2018.

Using LED bulbs alone will reduce peak load requirements by 22,000 MW, he added.
Goyal yesterday tweeted that excessive restrictions on carbon emission will curb India's competitive strength.
"Too many restrictions on carbon emissions will curb India's competitive strength. The developed world must provide access to low-cost finance and technology to developing nations for climate action," Goyal had tweeted.
Appealing youths in Pune, Goyal said being an intellectual
city, entrepreneurship and technology hub and epicentre of education, Pune has the potential to become thefirst city to go 100 per cent cashless by adopting e-payments options.
"I was speaking to youths today and an idea came into the mind that why we should not form an action committee for digital payments and set up a target of 15 days to go about the transformation.

"Through this action committee, youths can reach out to the society and arrange camps and help small traders, merchants, small time vendors and shop keepers to adopt digital payment options which are available in the market and lead towards the first 100 per cent cashless city," he added.