By Newsgram Staff Writer

The Indian government is planning to turn desert regions of the country into energy producing sectors by harnessing solar and wind power in these areas.

According to report by Power Grid Corporation of the total available potential of 315.7 GW of solar and wind power in these regions, said Minister of state for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal.

The misnster said that Power Grid Corporation of India has conducted the study in this regard to identify the potential of desert regions in the states of Rajasthan (Thar), Gujarat (Rann of Kutch), Himachal Pradesh (Lahul&Spiti) and Jammu & Kashmir ( Ladakh) for the same.

"The PGCIL had submitted a study report titled "Desert Power India- 2050" assessing renewable power potential, transmission infrastructure requirement, balancing reserve etc in the identified desert regions," Goyal said.

The report has further estimated that the investment requirement for harnessing the available potential upto 2050 would be Rs 43,74,550 crore.

The investments in renewable energy power projects are mainly by private sector. Government provides some incentives in the forms of generation based incentives, viability gap funding.

Besides, fiscal incentives such as accelerated depreciation, concessional customs duty, excise duty exemption, income tax holiday for 10 years and preferential tariff are provided for renewable energy power projects, the Minister added.