India Added 5,400 MW Wind Power In 2016-17, Exceeding Its 4,000 MW Target

The government has exceeded its target of adding 4,000 megawatts (MW) of wind energy in 2016-17, adding a total of 5,400 MW during that period, Livemint has reported. Wind energy now constitutes 55 per cent of the total renewable energy (16 per cent of India’s total energy generation) that India generates.

This landmark achievement was revealed by the Ministry of New Renewable Energy on Sunday. The ministry in its statement said that “this year’s achievement surpassed the previous higher capacity addition of 3,423 MW”.

As a part of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, India had agreed to generate 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022, and generation of 40 per cent energy through non-fossil fuels by 2030. At this pace, as Swarajya reported earlier, India would achieve its target much before the deadline.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to make renewable energy accessible to all have also yielded results, with renewable energy tariffs reaching an all-time low in recent times. Solar power tariffs hit a record low of Rs 2.97 per kilowatt hour (kWh), and wind power tariff reached Rs 3.46 kWh in February 2017.

India’s electricity demand is projected to more than triple by 2030. In the recently released national electricity plan, the Central Electricity Authority projected the need for 350-360 GW of total generation capacity by 2022. By pushing forward the growth in energy sectors such as wind, solar, geothermal and hydro-power, the country can significant reduce the shortfall with almost no environmental cost.

Also Read: Tariff Revolution In Solar And Wind Power: Is It Here To Stay?