1, Anne Marg goes green

July 29, 2011, Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will use solar energy for lighting up his residence and office, an official said Friday.

‘It will set a model for others to follow Nitish Kumar’s practical approach for eco-friendly measures,’ an official in chief minister’s office said.

The chief ministers’s house and office is on Anne Marg here. Nitish Kumar has asked the thermal power system to be converted to a solar one. A solar power project will be launched soon, sources said.

‘I will use solar energy at my house and office to popularize it and encourage people to go for solar energy,’ Nitish Kumar told a gathering Wednesday. New and renewable energy sources have the potential to generate around 2,000 MW of power in the state, said state energy department Principal Secretary Ajay V. Nayak.

Bihar generates around 6 MW from biomass plants, around 4 KW from solar power plant at Patailiya village in Samastipur district and about 55 MW from hydro electric power plants.

Bihar has a daily power demand of nearly 2,200 MW. However, it receives only about 1,000 MW from outside.