The Hindu Business Line : AP Minister wants outdoor ad panels to use solar power

THE Union Minister of State for Non-Conventional Energy Sources, Mr Vilas Muttemwar, said that street lighting and outdoor advertisement panels in the country were consuming 20,000 MW of power per annum and wanted the State Governments to ensure that power for both purposes was drawn from solar panels rather than from the conventional energy sources.

Mr Muttemwar told newspersons here on Sunday that he had, so far, brought up this issue with the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Karnataka who have agreed to consider his suggestion.

The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, had informed him that orders would be issued in three to four months asking the outdoor advertisers in the State to draw power from solar panels.

In this regard, Mr Muttemwar said that he would personally visit other States and urge the respective Chief Ministers to ensure that advertisers would shift to non-conventional energy sources for lighting their outdoor panels.

"A saving in power consumption amounts to generation of additional power to that extent," he emphasised.

The Minister also said that all State Governments should launch a campaign for installation of solar water heating systems in individual houses and apartment complexes as it would reduce power consumption, particularly during the peak morning hours.

He had convened a meeting of Mayors and Municipal Commissioners on September 4, this year to discuss these aspects.

He said that his Ministry had prepared a plan for "village energy security through biomass." The plan, which would be implemented this year in select villages, envisaged meeting energy needs of 25,000 remote villages and 1.75 lakh forest fringe villages through the power generated from biomass. The ownership and management of the biomass power plants would be vested with village community.

The Government would also constitute a "District Advisory Committee for Renewable Energy" headed by the District Collector in each district for creating mass awareness and accelerating the pace of development of renewable energy systems and devices. This apart, Mr Muttemwar said, his Ministry would be observing "Rajiv Gandhi Akshya Urja Diwas" on August 20 as a part of its efforts to spread the message of the need for renewable energy.

More Stories on : Advertising | Non-conventional Energy | Andhra Pradesh

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