The government is preparing a list of all renewable power generation points in the country to aid integration of clean energy with existing sources. The directives for setting up the registry have already been given, according to the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Coal, Power, New and Renewable Energy and Mines, Piyush Goyal.
Speaking at the release of a report titled, ‘Pathways to Integrate 175 Gigawatts of Renewable Energy into India’s Electric Grid- National Study’, Goyal said, “The Central Electricity Authority Chairperson has assured me that they will be coming out with a mechanism for the same within a month by which this data will be captured.” This information can be updated through a mobile app if needed and the data will be available for the public, he added.
He said that the data base when complete will help integration of clean energy to existing energy sources. The report released by Goyal noted that power system balancing with 100 GW solar and 60 GW wind is achievable at 15-minute operational timescales with minimal reduction in renewable energy output.
The report also notes that India’s current coal-dominated power system has the inherent flexibility to accommodate the variability associated with the targeted renewable energy capacities.