Now, state seeks to ride the wind

Boosted by the success of the generation of power from wind, the state government is keen on generating more energy from wind power.

It added 545 MW of power  through  wind turbine generators (WTGs) between April 1, 2005 and March 31, 2006. The state has invested Rs3,000 crore in the sector in 2005. Capacity addition on this scale has been quite an achievement as the state only saw 456MW capacity added in the preceding six years, between 1999 and 2005.

“We have to explore this more as it can meaningfully solve the power crisis in the state,” said energy secretary Bhagwan Sahay. The state sought help from private sector, Suzlon, which added 473 MW of the total 545 MW. 

The country also added significantly in wind energy projects -- with 1,702 MW installed capacity during 2005-2006. The record capacity addition, up from 1,111 MW in 20004-05, has catapulted India ahead of Denmark in global rankings, making it the fourth-largest market for wind energy in terms of new capacity addition.

“The growth in power-generating capacity in India is today driven largely by increasing energy needs. The short gestation periods for installing wind turbines, and the increasing reliability and performance of wind energy machines have made the sector a first-choice for capacity addition.

One of the critical drivers for growth is the industry's need for captive power,” said Tulsi R. Tanti, Chairman & Managing Director, Suzlon Energy Limited.