Wednesday, 1 April 2009

The Age of Renewables

The power sector remains of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases worldwide. In both the developed and the developing world, electricity usage is one of the main culprits of global warming. To reduce consumption of energy however remains a distant dream. The American Government under the leadership of President Obama is pushing for energy conservation measures including introduction of a smart grid. Elsewhere in the world too such initiatives are needed. In the developing world, energy consumption is slated to increase even during these times of economic recession. And it is unfair to ask developing countries to halt their progress in the name of climate change mitigation as even today millions live in dire conditions in these countries and the upliftment of these millions is necessary and needed.

Renewable energy offers a viable solution to the energy needs of the world and climate change measures that need to be undertaken to preserve our planet and ecological well-being. Among the available renewable energy options, hydro power was vilified in the past. But rivers remain a powerful source of renewable energy.

Run of the river hydro projects offer an effective and eco-friendly answer to fulfill increasing energy demands. These projects do not dam the river or alter it’s ecology by building reservoirs. The volume of the river stays unchanged and there is no inundation of surrounding forested land or villages.

Thus it is about time that governments in the developing world which have to deal with burgeoning populations and related increase in energy demands pay serious attention to developing their capabilities in the hydro sector and capitalize on the untapped potential of that sector.

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