India is a country rich in renewable sources like sun and wind energy. Though there have been significant efforts towards exploiting these, more needs to be done. The blog talks about five factors, apart from the massive energy demand that India’s population and development initiatives require, that make a strong case for investment in and support towards the wind energy sector.
In the year 2012, not too long ago, there were two consecutive dark days in July – the 30th and the 31st – when 700 million people in India across an area stretching from New Delhi in the North to Kolkata in the East suffered a continuous blackout; the event was aptly termed later as ‘The Great Indian Outage’.
India, the growing economy towards which the world looks at with optimistic eyes, has massive energy needs. With initiatives like ‘Make in India’ that aspire to make the country the next manufacturing hub of the world, power demands are only set to rise further. Even if any development needs are not considered, the rising population requires a regular supply of power to sustain itself. And that is why it is high time that renewable sources of energy, like wind energy, are given a boost.
1. Resources: Due to the southwest summer monsoon that rules India’s weather, the country is blessed with ample opportunities where wind energy can be harnessed profitably. Moreover, with a coastline of 7, 517 km, there is an extraordinary opportunity for the development of off-shore wind energy generation projects.
2. Possibility: With an installed capacity of 23,444 MW by the first quarter of 2015, India has shown evidence that it possesses the capability to further the development in this sector. This, along with ambitious projects like the 100 MW offshore-power plant off the shores of Gujarat, show the feasibility of ample possibilities being achieved in the country.
3. Climate change control: The most important impact perhaps will be the reduction in amount of emissions that the processing of conventional fuels creates. With already alarming levels of pollution and the need to adhere to climate control norms set by the international community, there’s no way but to focus on renewable energy production.
4. Economy: Wind energy is a long-term investment initiative that will eventually make the country highly independent regarding its energy needs. The amount saved on costly fuel imports can be then utilized in further development of renewable resources and other areas of upliftment – social, technical, defense, etc.
5. Employment: Development of wind energy sector will also invoke varied employment opportunities – from the requirement of technicians and engineers to build the apparatus, to lesser-skilled personnel for installation, maintenance, and related activities. Hence, wind power will also be able to address, at least to some extent, another major problem of the country.
A boost in wind power can be an answer not only to the rising levels of air pollution in the metros, but a source of power to off-grid regions as well.
Let us know what you think. Share your opinions in the comments section.
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