Indian Alternative Energy in 2010 sees strong 50% growth led by Wind Energy

Alternative Energy in India saw significant growth in 2010 with the last 9 months of the year seeing capacity additions of 1800 MW which is almost 10% of the total installed capacity of 18500 MW.The growth in renewable energy was led by Wind Energy which forms almost 70% of the total renewable energy capacity in the country at around 13500 MW.The strong incentives given by both state and central government has led to the sharp growth of wind energy.Note Wind Energy is quite close to Gas based electricity price.India Needs at least 68 GW of Renewable Energy Capacity by 2020 to meet its RPS target of 15% set by CERC (note this is capacity only not hours of electricity).

Renewable Energy in India however is still short of its targets despite a 50% growth in Apr-Dec 2010 over the same period last year.Small Hydro and Biomass account for a majority of the rest with 3 GW and 1 GW of capacity.Solar Energy in India is a minuscule 81 MW.

1,800 mw green power added during Apr-Dec

With an addition of over 1,800 mw of capacity during the first nine month of he current fiscal, India’s cumulative grid-interactive renewable energy instalment capacity had crossed 18,500 mw mark as of December 2010.

With major contributions coming from the wind sector, the country has added 1,835 mw of new renewable energy capacity during the nine-month period of present fiscal, compared with the addition of 1,204 mw capacity in the same period a year ago. However, even the addition of 1,835 mw fell short of the 2,972 mw target for the nine month period of this fiscal, according to the union ministry of new and renewable energy.