What will be the impact of COP26 on Bengaluru and Karnataka?
The Hindu
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The commitment made by our Prime Minister at COP26 in Glasgow demands a rapid increase in renewable power and early retirement of coal power plants. Karnataka can be a leader in the growth of renewable energy technology in India as it is already a leader in the area of information technology.
There are many sites favourable for solar power plants in north Karnataka and locations favourable for wind power plants in the western Ghats and Bellary. Wind power is available mainly during the monsoon but it compensates for the poor yield from solar power plants during that season.
There will be a need for large energy storage facilities to tide over the periods during which neither wind or solar energy is available. The large hydropower plants in Karnataka can be used for energy storage through ‘pumped storage’ systems. These systems will pump water from downstream of the dam to the lake located upstream during mid-day when there is more solar power generation.