But India hopes to move from near-zero to 20,000 megawatts of solar electricity by 2020, as part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change. Announced in June 2008, the plan is a structured response to combat global warming and part of a proposal India intends to pitch at a climate change summit in Copenhagen this December. The centerpiece of the plan is the National Solar Mission, which is aimed at harnessing India's neglected energy source. Today, India's solar companies say they generate so little electricity because of inadequate state support. "Unless the government guarantees that it will purchase solar power at a lucrative cost with feed-in tariffs, the industry will not take off. We end up exporting three-fourths of solar cells and photovoltaic modules to Europe," said an executive of a solar power company, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "The government has to cough up money and go beyond making the right noises about renewable energy."
But India hopes to move from near-zero to 20,000 megawatts of solar electricity by 2020, as part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change. Announced in June 2008, the plan is a structured response to combat global warming and part of a proposal India intends to pitch at a climate change summit in Copenhagen this December.
The centerpiece of the plan is the National Solar Mission, which is aimed at harnessing India's neglected energy source. Today, India's solar companies say they generate so little electricity because of inadequate state support.
"Unless the government guarantees that it will purchase solar power at a lucrative cost with feed-in tariffs, the industry will not take off. We end up exporting three-fourths of solar cells and photovoltaic modules to Europe," said an executive of a solar power company, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "The government has to cough up money and go beyond making the right noises about renewable energy."
