Pala, Conrad to attend intl energy meet

NEW DELHI: Members of Parliament Vincent H. Pala and Conrad Sangma will attend an international conference on alternate sources of power in Germany. Pala and Conrad are part of the Climate Parliament, a network of multi-party parliamentarians working for the development of renewable energy. Besides, Minister for Power, Coal and Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal, top bureaucrats and experts from India and other countries are likely to be part of the four-day conference beginning on November 7. The event will focus on the opportunities presented by large-scale renewable energy for powering the global economy, fighting energy poverty and achieving steep de-carbonisation. It will also discuss the roadblocks in developing grids, interconnectors and international energy trading. The participation of the two MPs from the State in the conference holds significance at a time when Meghalaya is reeling from acute shortage of hydro power owing to deficient rainfall and is looking to renewable energy to tide over the crisis. The State government is also ensuring that villages located far away from power generation centres are supported by renewable energy leading to the withdrawal of conventional resources. The National Renewable Energy Act aims at promoting and producing energy through the use of renewable energy sources to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, ensure security of supply and reduce emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. Mainstreaming renewable energy in government schemes and programmes and mobilisation of funds for states have also been proposed.