Centre, state must have uniform policy on renewable energy

Union Minister Farooq Abdullah today stressed on the need for a uniform policy between the Centre and states on renewable energy for the progress of the sector.
"The Centre and the state must have a uniform policy as far as renewable energy is concerned. Otherwise, the centre thinks in one term, the state another. Hence, many of these developers are caught in between. The government will have to think how you get states and centre on the same vision if u really want the Renewable Energy to progress." he said.
Citing an example he said in Tamil Nadu a developer had suffered as there were wind machines ready to produce power but no transmission lines.

Abdullah, who was speaking during an interactive session on "Energy access and Renewable Energy" organised by CSE, said people should use renewable energy.
He said if country really wants to get rid of harmful gases, then it had to work hard. He also asked the industrialists to come forward and produce solar equipments.
"Time has come to realise that this energy is not cheap. Renewable energy needs something vital...You need to produce in India itself that can be done only if industrialists will become makers and leave the imports.
"They must give up this idea that how much can we make, when need it, then make it, why back stepping? This is the future of the world. Whether solar, wind, hydro, thermal all is future," the minister said suggesting they can also have research and development also as a part of this.

He also said that bank interest rates should be low so the entrepreneurs don't hesitate to get into this field. He also asked the the experts to work in this field and apart from generating power also focus on its storage.