India Sees the Light, Plans to Skip Fossil Fuels

Government officials in the Indian state of Orissa have decided to bring electricity to more than 2,000 country villages by March 2012. Normally, reading something like that would be pretty scary. In this case, however, the news is inspiring!

Why? Because the government of Orissa will be using decentralized solar power to bring electricity to a region of India that has never seen electric lights – and they’re ready to expand the grid, as needed, with more renewable and sustainable tech than you can shake ~~an unprocessed biomass fuel source~~ a stick at. Find out more, after the jump.

The Indian government already has plans to supplement the proposed solar energy grid with biomass and wind power, and points out that there are currently almost 400 villages powered through a similar solar/bio/wind arrangement. India expects to electrify an additional 200+ villages by the end of 2010, building up to large-scale deployment of the solar tech through 2011 and 2012.

Reports about Orissa’s supplemental plants include 118 MW from biomass plants, along with two 150 MW wind farms. Surveys for 22 more locations are reportedly underway.

As exciting as all this seems at first glance, keep in mind that India is (in many ways) a developing nation, and government projects can easily get held up. Still, this project – even as it is today – proves that fossil fuels are not a necessary step between “developing” and “developed.” Good on you, India!

SOURCE: Treehugger.

MAKE SOLAR WORK FOR YOU!

Next, use your Solar Report to get the best quote!

Tags: air, biomass, BRIC, cellulosic ethanol, clean coal, coal, fossil, fuels, India, Solar power, village, villages, Wind, wind farm

About the Author

Jo Borrás I've been involved in motorsports and tuning since 1997, and write for a number of blogs in the Important Media network. You can find me on Twitter, Skype (jo.borras) or Google+.

http://Web john aislabie

Orissa has 20% of India’s coal, a quarter of its iron ore and a third of its bauxite. There more than 50 operating or planned steel plants.
They will, understandably, not be relying on wind power.
If I was a rural villager I would be way underimpressed by having my electrical needs met by taking away my land for biomass and intermittemt wind. Sitting in the gloom of a windless night, eating food that now has to be trucked in I would realise that my life is being made miserable for no discernibly good reason.
This is the sort of half baked scheme that gives sustainable power a bad name – deservedly.
http://Web Alex

It’s good, but it isn’t enough. India is one of those countries that have been “left in the dark” so to speak, as far as technology is concerned. If they were to start consuming and using energy like the USA, then we would probably end up in a WALL-E scenario.
http://Web maulik

loved to read this..!
Pingback: Global Technologies to Integrate Wind & Solar to Power Mobile Communications … – MarketWatch (press release) : GreenEnergyGroup – Tips and Resources for using wind and solar()