Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proposed to G20 nations that a global virtual centre need to be set up for clean energy research and development.
He also pressed for faster expansion of renewable energy in rural areas.
Let us increase the collective research and development efforts and collaboration and ensure dissemination to all countries, stated Modi.
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For this, a global virtual centre for clean energy research and development has to be set up with adequate public funding, which will fund collaborative projects in diverse sources of clean energy, smart grids, energy efficiency, Modi continued.
India and the United States have built an excellent virtual centre on a bilateral basis, with matching public and private funding, he noted.
A team of outstanding experts to evaluate and judge research projects can be selected. The results should be available to all countries. Innovative funding models need to be discussed to ensure rapid expansion of renewable energy in decentralised manner in rural areas. In countries like India, there are vast opportunities for those wishing to invest in clean coal technology, since its dependence will not reduce very soon, Modi added.
Nuclear energy can still be a safe, reliable and clean source of energy. It will be an important part of India’s mix. Energy efficiency is the best source of clean energy and building this efficiency in areas such as buildings, household appliances and industrial goods in India is receiving strong attention, explained Modi.
G20 can be effective in promoting an integrated the natural gas market, ensuring freer trade in gas and ensuring that the markets operate more efficiently. Increased access to affordable, assured and clean energy supply for all should be the primary goal. It is a major economic opportunity for all countries, Modi said.
Let us make an ambitious and innovative effort to make renewable, especially solar energy, competitive with conventional energy, Modi added.
In another initiative, India has also increased its renewable energy capacity target from 22 gigawatts by 2022 to 100 gigawatts by 2019 at the cost of $1billion.
Aside from the big solar energy target noted above, the wind energy target is 40 gigawatts by 2019, a doubling of current capacity.
A Renewable Energy Act will be unveiled by the Indian government early in 2015.
Sabeena Wahid
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