Uncharted waters for hydropower's renewable energy status

Govt proposal aimed at meeting climate change targets; industry apprehensive on implications

The government’s proposal to classify all hydropower projects under the category of renewable energy (RE) would help the country meet its targets under the Paris Climate Change Summit. However, it poses other questions for the sector.

At present, hydropower projects below 25 megawatt (Mw) are considered as RE and come under administrative purview of the ministry of new and renewable energy. Large hydro is with the Ministry of Power and so is the largest hydropower company, NHPC.

With the move, the government intends to meet its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) targets, as committed in the Paris Climate Change Summit-2016,