Background

After the oil shock in the early seventies, the policy makers in this country had rightly envisioned that dependence on fossil fuel has to be reduced and should focus our thrust towards exploiting new and renewable sources of energy (NRSE) like solar, wind, micro-hydel, bio-energy, fuel cells etc. and also to improve the efficiency in energy use. The TEDA was earlier a part of Assam Science Technology & Environment Council (ASTEC). ASTEC was constituted in 1986-87 as an autonomous Council under the Department of Science Technology & Environment, Govt. of Assam for implementation of some of the major programmes in the sector of science & technology, remote sensing, energy (non-conventional & renewable sources) and environment as the institutional organization of the Department. The TEDA was formally constituted during July, 2002 under the Societies Registration Act (1860) to act independently as the nodal agency for new and renewable sources of energy under the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Govt. of India for the state of Assam

Strategies

TEDA recognizes the great potential in renewable sources of energy in meeting the energy needs of people in a socially and environmentally sound manner. It calls for concerted efforts by governments, local institutions, NGOs, the private sector as well as the international community towards the promotion of NRSE. The Government of India has taken a conscious and keen interest in harnessing the country's abundant potential of NRSE in partnership with stakeholders since long by taking policy initiatives through the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, And significant growth has already taken place during last decade due to this. The relevance of NRSE as decentralized sources of energy for electrification of remote villages has received special attention in the country. It is necessary that such villages be identified and energy options - NRSE as well as conventional sources - be evaluated so that cost effective options are selected and scarce resources available for NRSE are judiciously used. The high relative cost of RETs remains the single largest problem. This needs to be tackled. On the one hand, R&D and market development will help in bringing down costs as technologies mature and gain acceptance; this phenomenon needs to be accelerated. Rural cooperative banks, micro-credit schemes and ESCOs (energy service companies) can play an important role in strengthening market support infrastructure and building confidence in NRSE. Also a level playing ground for NRSE needs to be created either by framing proper policy on conventional energy or by giving preferential treatment to NRSE. The new electricity regulatory structure that is slowly spreading throughout the country can be used to further the growth of renewable. In giving preferential treatment, incentives should be linked with performance so that there are built-in incentives for improving efficiency and bringing down costs.