Tamil Nadu will soon come out with a new policy on solar power to generate 3,000 MW by 2015-16, Natham R Viswanathan, minister for non-conventional energy development, said here Monday.

"Tamil Nadu proposes to install 3,000 MW by 2015-16, which is more than 33 percent of the Indian target. In order to promote renewable energy effectively so as to achieve the targeted capacity addition, the State is shortly coming out with a Solar Policy," said Viswanathan.

Inaugurating RENERGY 2012, an international conference on renewable energy organised by the Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency (TEDA), he said the state was rolling out the country's largest rooftop solar power programme by powering 300,000 houses and 100,000 street lights through solar power.

Saying that the state has received only 22 MW out of the 1,000 MW capacity under the Phase I of National Solar Mission, he requested the centre to address the inequality by recognising the huge potential for solar power in Tamil Nadu.

According to Viswanathan, the state government will promote small rooftop solar power systems as well as encourage wind-solar hybrid installations and aero generators for meeting captive energy requirement of educational institutions.

He said Tamil Nadu accounts for over 7,500 MW of renewable energy capacity out of the country's total 20,000 MW of installed capacity.

The state leads in wind power accounting for 6,800 MW and the industry's growth is hindered due to lack of evacuation infrastructure.

Viswanathan asked the central government for funds from the Clean Energy Fund to address the infrastructural deficit in the wind energy sector.

Source: Indo-Asia News Service