“India does not require a new renewable energy act. The electricity act 2003 has sufficient provisions,” a senior official from the ministry of new and renewable energy clearly said this. MNRE is not showing any interest to bring in a separate energy law for renewable energy.

The urgent need for a separate law was felt in view of the deepening energy crisis. The World Institute of Sustainable Energy (WISE), Pune based non-profit and non-government institute, had drafted a model act in 2007.

G M Pillai, the founder director general of WISE had then said that the electricity act 2003 addressed issues related to renewable power only marginally and had said that the electricity act 2003 was not at all effective in facilitating the much needed transition to a sustainable energy system. 

The draft law on renewable energy proposed to increase the target for electricity generation from renewable to 20 percent by 2020, of the total electricity generated in the country. The draft law also demanded to remove some ambiguities or amplify some provisions in the electricity act 2003, relating to provisions dealing with renewable electricity generation. Contrary to the draft law the official from MNRE says, “We don't recognise the draft law prepared by WISE as we are satisfied with the existing law. The existing electricity act has no ambiguities. At the moment there is no need to replace it.”