Sectors, states' efforts needed to get 500 GW renewable capacity: Khuba

Concerted efforts from all sectors and states are vital for India to achieve the target of 500 gigawatt renewable energy capacity by 2030, Bhagwanth Khuba said

Concerted efforts from all sectors and states are vital for India to achieve the target of 500 gigawatt renewable energy capacity by 2030, Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy and Chemicals and Fertilizers Bhagwanth Khuba has said.

He lauded the role played by the states in the renewable energy sector by saying that their joint efforts with the Centre resulted in the country achieving the goal of 175 GW of clean energy capacity this year itself, set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as per the 2015 Paris agreement, a press release issued by PIB said.

The Paris agreement is an international treaty on climate change which aims at limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels, according to the United Nations Climate Change website.

The minister was speaking at the 8th foundation day celebration of the Association of Renewable Energy Agencies of States (AREAS) hosted by it and Government of Kerala's Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (ANERT) on Saturday, the PIB release said.

At the event, the minister laid emphasis on the initiatives being taken by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy for achieving the ambitious target of 500 GW by 2030 and the various product linked incentive schemes it was going to roll out.

He also lauded the efforts by AREAS in this sector by saying that because of it, "the states are getting a platform to showcase what they did regarding energy in their own state where experience, achievement, and targets can be shared which, in turn, will help each state immensely," the release said.

He also launched the AREAS Telephone Directory 2022 and distributed awards in different categories for Best Performance in the renewable energy sector to various states, it said.

Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty, who was the guest of honor, welcomed the financial and operational incentives announced by the Union government for expanding the hydel power base which is pivotal for tapping the hydel potential of the state, the release said.