Dr Farooq Abdullah the minister of New and Renewable Energy informed the Lok Sabha that the total installed capacity of renewable energy based power in the country is 26,267 MW. A capacity addition of 30,000 MW is targeted from renewable energy during the 12th Plan period.
The contribution of renewable energy based power generation is likely to be in the range of 6% to 8% in the total electricity mix of the country and major part of power generation would continue to come from thermal and hydro power.
Mr Abdullah said that the Government is implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission to promote harnessing/utilization of solar energy for power generation and other applications in the country. The Mission envisages installation of 20,000 MW capacities by the year 2022. Solar projects/systems can be installed throughout the country.
The places receiving higher direct solar insulation are better suited for installation solar power projects. A target of 10,000 MW has been fixed for solar power projects during the 12th Plan. So far, 1045 MW of solar power projects have been installed in the country.