Cement, Energy and Environment

Uttarakhand and Western Ghats that such projects are not benign to the environment. Yet they are entitled t o all fiscal benef its given to renewable projects. The Government s hould address these concerns as well. Seeking to strike a balance between the need to encourage growth of green energy and environmental concerns, the report had suggested that new projects may be set up in areas which are 'conflict f ree and readily avai lable" . At the same time, the use of natural resources such as land and water by these projects should be regulated. Instead of free flowing water, sprinklers may be used to clean solar panels. Water harvest and reuse of water may be encouraged to promote water conservation. For the benefit of project developers, the Government can identify' go green' (where projects can be set up without any objection), 'go slow' and 'no-go' regions in the country, it has been suggested . Some states have already started have already started experimenting with innovative ways to reduce land requirement for large renewable energy projects. One way cou ld be installing solar panels over large building or over irrigation canals as is being done in Gujarat. In wind farms, about 80 per cent of the land remains under-utilized or unutilized by projects. The neighbor community may be allowed access to such land for productive use. Ownership of windmills by villagers or their cooperatives- as is being tried in Germany- could also ensure greater community participation. A framework for environmental oversight for green power is certainly required, but it should be done in a way that does not stifle growth of renewable energy. India needs to move ahead in all forms of renewable energy, but in a responsible manner that causes minimum or no damage to the environment. Courtesy: Total Energy, November- December 2013 Pg. No. : 16-18 CHINA WILL BE WORLD LEADER IN CLEAN ENERGY BY 2035 lEA Renewables will account for nearly half of the increase in global power generation to 2035- with China generating more than the US, Japan and the EU combined-according to the International Energy Agency's (lEA) latest annual World Energy Outlook 2013 report released [recently]. Renewables will make up over 30% of the global power mix by 2035, with rapid expansions in wind and solar making up 45% of the expected increase in renewables. The renewables grov.1h will all but reach coal as the top fuel type for power generation by 2035. The lEA's World Energy Outlook 2013 reports that technology and high costs are opening up new oil resources, and presents a scenario where despite current climate action , global energy demand will rise by one third and emissions by 20% by 2035. Authors estimate global energy demand will generally shift to Asia , as India and Southeast Asian countries lead on energy consumption. Courtesy: Total Energy, November- December 2013 Pg. No.: 19 ASIAN COUNTRY PROFILE The January 2013 'Renewable energy country profile' report of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) gives an overview of the status of renewable energy in each country with details about energy supply, electrical generation and grid capacity and access. The energy statistics provided in the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) report, released in January 2013, span from 2009 to 2012 with the latest available data. The statistics are compiled by IRENA's specialists from available country data and additional information from a variety of sources like the International Energy Agency, World Bank, World Trade Organization, United Nations, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change etc. The report profiles 29 Asian countries including India. The Report gives an overview of the status of renewable energy in each country with details about energy supply, electrical generation and grid capacity, and access. Energy policies, targets and projects are also considered, along with each country's investment cl imate and endowment with renewable energy resources. The Report is a starting point for a series of reports on individual countries. India The per capita consumption of electricity in India, which has a population of 1,170.9 million, was 617 kWh. In the same year the per capita •