The winner of the 2003 Green Oscar award, Mr S.P. Gon Chaudhuri, said that RENEWABLE energy will become a major source of power by 2050 when it is expected to account for 50 per cent of all energy sources... `Renewable energy to be major power source by 2050'
BUSINESS LINEFinancial Daily from THE HINDU group of publicationsWednesday, Jul 09, 2003
KOLKATA, July 8 RENEWABLE energy will become a major source of power by 2050 when it is expected to account for 50 per cent of all energy sources, the winner of the 2003 Green Oscar award, Mr S.P. Gon Chaudhuri, said.
Addressing a meeting organised by the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry here on Tuesday, he expressed optimism that by 2070 "today's non-conventional energy would become the conventional source of electricity".
He cited the instance of the Sagar Island, an off-grid area in the Sundarbans in West Bengal, where people have accepted the solar systems in their houses as the normal energy source.
Although at 3 per cent, the worldwide share of renewable energy systems was minimal, the process of phasing out has already begun, he felt. He said that the new Electricity Act, 2003 would give a special fillip to the cause of this energy form mainly through the open access that it provides especially for setting up captive sources.
He appealed to the BNCCI members to come and tap this sector which promotes micro-entrepreneurship. "Although big companaies such as Tatas and BHEL have a presence here we would ideally like a mix of the big and the small players," he remarked.
In respect of rural electrification, renewable energy had a special potential since stand-alone systems were possible with this energy form. He mentioned in this context that nearly 50 crore people in this country, living in the villages had no access to electricity and the Government's goal of electricity for all by 2012, could be met only by tapping the various forms of renewable energy.
Mr Gon Chaudhuri, who heads WBREDA, the State's apex agency for promoting renewable energy development, has been given the top honours for developing sustainable energy sources by the UK-based Ashden, a family trust which has been giving these awards for three years now. He won the top honours from among 56 participating countries which had submitted their projects and vied with each other for getting this award.
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