In a bid to fulfill the renewable energy quota as fixed under the Electricity Act 2003, which mandates all states to source a certain portion of their power requirement from renewable energy sources, West Bengal Green Energy Corporation Limited (WBGECL), the state’s nodal renewable energy agency, has outlined investments worth Rs 700-750 crore over the next two to three years.
The managing director of WBGECL pointed out that the state, at present, hardly sourced 2-3 per cent of its total power requirement from renewable energy source, roughly 100 megawatt (MW), of which 50 per cent was from biomass and the rest solar. However, under the Electricity Act 2003, by 2012, all state utilities should be able to source a minimum of 10 per cent from renewable sources.
According to the company, WB’s renewable energy potential was in biomass and solar areas unlike states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka which has potential in wind and hydel primarily.
