Pune: Coming down heavily on the developed nations, including the US, for "speaking a lot on clean energy but doing nothing", Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said he would soon file 16 cases against the US for giving protection to solar panel producers in violation of WTO norms.
"The US, which is articulating the inconvenient truth, while India is doing convenient action, uses seven times more coal per capita than India. Even on clean energy finance, the developed world has spoken a lot and done zilch," the Union Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy said.
He was speaking on 'India's Efforts in Shaping the Global Solar Alliance' during a lecture hosted by the Pune International Centre.
"India has the capability to lead the global efforts to take on the challenge of climate and will remain in the forefront of harnessing solar and other forms of renewable energy to make the world a better place to live.
"Optimising natural resources has been inherent in the Indian way of life for thousands of years and the country is eminently suited to demonstrate to the world how practical it can be to utilise solar energy for the development of remote and undeveloped areas," Goyal said.
Terming the 'International Solar Alliance' a demonstration of India's concern for issues of climate change, he said the traditional ethos of conservation makes India a natural country to lead the world efforts in the area of climate change.
On the ongoing solar dispute with US in World Trade Organization (WTO), Goyal said soon cases would be filed against US for violation of WTO norms.
In the US, there are 16 programmes in different states where they give protection to solar panel producers which are completely in violation of WTO norms, he said.
"I am going to file 16 cases against the US for their violation of the WTO norms. Our international solar alliance rests on this. If a large country like India is subjected to this, then imagine what happens to the country in the underdeveloped world," he rued.
Noting the "doublespeak" of the US in the solar dispute, he said, "It amazes me that a country which talks of encouraging renewable energy goes to the WTO against India and says why did you (India) put up 400 MW of domestically produced panels.
"You should have allowed us to compete even in those 400 MW, which India has domestically made and put up. They go to the WTO, win a case and tom tom about it as a contribution to renewable energy in the world. I totally fail to understand by stopping and stalling India's progress...," he said.
Goyal also questioned that if the US can safeguard its domestic manufacturers, why developing economies cannot.
On the ambitious project of targeting one lakh MW electricity generation from solar energy, Goyal said, "We will leave no stone unturned to encourage manufacturing of solar power equipment in India to make the electricity generated from solar energy cheaper than conventional electricity."
He added that the government will also encourage installation of rooftop solar electricity generation plants and has targeted generation of 40,000 MW from this channel.
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