Conference article

Many state governments in India rely on wind energy generation (WEG) to overcome chronic electricity shortages. This paper provides a citizen’s view of WEG in India; in the backdrop of (a) the everrising national demand for primary energy; (b) the national electricity policy; and (c) wind energy policies in its three highly industrialized states – Tamil Nadu; Maharashtra; and Gujarat. Data from public domain such as the web-sites of government departments is used. Each state has increased its share of WEG with incentives for investment in this sector. The remarkable increase in installed capacity for WEG over the past years has not led to a proportionate increase in the kWh of wind power generated. The unbridled growth in this sector has pitted farmer activists against wind energy companies. A stampede for commissioning large wind farms can potentially destroy local ecosystems through changes in land use patterns. Few studies have been made in India to address such socio-economic concerns. Policies of doling out excessive incentives for MW-scale underutilized wind farms that feed inefficient grids must be reconsidered. The people of India must receive direct tangible benefits from WEG for it to be a truly clean option of green energy for them.

Government; Policy; Status; Capacity; Utilization