Separate renewable energy ministry a major step: SP Gon Choudhuri

Noted non-conventional energy expert and current advisor on renewable energy to West Bengal government S P Gon Chaudhuri has welcomed the decision  to start a renewable energy ministry.

"Bringing non-conventional energy under a separate ministry by the West Bengal government is a major step forward in the endeavour  for a greener world," Gon Chaudhuri told PTI.

Earlier, non-conventional energy was under the ministry of power as a department.

Chaudhuri who had worked for the last 27 years in this field wants to take forward this clean energy mission under the new West Bengal government.

"Working for green energy is like a mission for me. I was never a political appointee so I would continue to offer my expertise to the the new government unless situation calls for otherwise," he said.

In the past, several state governments have Chaudhuri's expertise in setting up non-conventional projects in their respective states.

Currently, West Bengal's installed capacity of renewable energy is 110 MW of which 50 MW each is from bio-mass and hydro and 7 MW from solar.

Another renewable energy projects worth 100 MW is in pipeline, he said.