US keen to work with WB in renewable energy sector

The United States has expressed a desire to work with the West Bengal government for developing the renewable energy sector in the state। Briefing reporters in the state capital on Monday, the US commerce assistant secretary David Bohigian said, "American clean energy companies could help India, particularly West Bengal, in developing renewable energy."

Bohigian is leading a consortium of 11 US clean energy companies as a part of a trade mission to the state। Director of West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency (WBREDA) S P Gonchaudhuri said the state has targeted to generate grid-connected 500 MW of renewable energy by the year 2015.

Adding further, he said by 2015, the state would attract an investment of Rs 10,000 crore in this sector. Currently, the state generates 75 MW of renewable energy from various sources like wind, solar, biomass and micro-hydel. The US trade mission would also visit Bangalore, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong.