New Delhi: The Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Gireesh Pradhan informed a Pakistani delegation led by Zafar Mahmood, Secretary, Ministry of Water and Power, Government of Pakistan about renewable energy scenario in India.
During the bilateral talks, Pradhan presented to the delegation a detailed overview of India’s journey in the development and application of renewable energy. The achievement of India in installation of over 25000 MW of grid connected Renewable Energy was lauded by the visiting delegation. The focus of the presentation was on solar, wind, biomass and small hydro sectors.
The Pakistan side expressed interest in the development of Renewable Energy Policy over the last three decades and its implementation in India. They were informed about the provisions in the Indian Electricity Act 2003 and Tariff Policy with reference to Renewable Purchase Obligation for Renewable Energy .
It was also informed by Pradhan that renewable purchase obligation makes it mandatory for all the power distribution companies to purchase a minimum percentage of power generated through renewables. It was also mentioned that such a provision is an extremely effective instrument for promoting the use of renewable energy. The visiting delegation was also informed about fiscal and financial incentives given by Government of India to promote the renewable provision in energy sector.
Zafar Mahmood said that renewable energy is a relatively new area in Pakistan. He said that this interaction has been extremely useful and provided him and his colleagues an opportunity to learn from Indian experience in the field of renewable energy. Mahmood thanked Pradhan and his team of senior officers for sharing their experience in the field of renewable energy with his delegation.