Two decades after it was founded, GEDA has wind farms generating only 165 MW of power, far short of the Bangalore-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology's forecasts of a whopping 10,000 MW of wind power. Moreover, it has just 600,000 improved chulhas and 44,000 solar cookers, figures that indicate how disregarded alternative sources of energy are in the State.

True, renewable energy sources are dependent on the vagaries of nature to a large extent. But only one of the factors allegedly responsible for the non-success of alternative power sources in the State is uncontrollable by man.

The factors that have played a far more major role in discouraging private participation -- essential for the success of any such project -- are ambiguous policies and alleged difficulties in transferring privately generated power to the Gujarat Electricity Board grid. Low wind velocity has only deterred entrepreneurs further, despite attractive income tax and sales tax incentives.

For starters, consider the State government's vacillations. It initially announced a five-year policy with attractive incentives, but curtailed it by two years. Next, it said the policy would be renewed every six months. But though the last policy expired in March, it has not been renewed since.

As the government kept changing its mind, so did entrepreneurs, many of whom backed out despite making investments, according to GEDA officials.

``The GEB grid and lines were never available when they were required, leading to immense waste of power. This hurt the viability of the projects'', explains Federation of Gujarat Industries president Rakesh Aggrawal, whose Bayer ABS Ltd pumped Rs 40 crores into wind-farms.

N M Parekh, deputy general manager (electrical) of IPCL, which has wind farms producing 15 MW of power, says the absence of a clear policy has been the most harmful for entrepreneurs. FGI secretary-general Ranjan Munshi, too, underlines the need for a clearcut policy on all non-conventional sources of energy.

To Parekh and Aggrawal's contention that wind power goes waste if not offloaded on to the grid immediately -- such power cannot be stored -- GEB's Member (Technical) K K Vaghela admits that this is a valid grouse. But, he adds, one disadvantage of wind power was that most of it was generated during the nights, when the demand was the least. GEDA's director in-charge K V Doshi, however, dismisses these charges to point out that Gujarat's wind power potential was grossly exaggerated. ``Though the State has an enviable 1,600 km-long coastline, on which such predictions are based, it is very volatile and the wind velocity is inadequate'', he says.

A Government-nominated Board member, on the other hand, feels want of research was impeding progress. ``This needs to be taken up immediately as these sources will stand us in good stead in the future'', he says, dismissing notions that high wind velocity was necessary for power generation. ``Power can be generated with low wind velocity as well'', he adds.

Agreeing that frequent policy changes have affected exploitation of non-conventional energy sources, Doshi, however, adds that a new policy was being framed. Asked why the appliances like the solar cooker had not been a hit, the GEDA director-in-charge says its benefits needed to have been highlighted while inviting entrepreneurs instead of offering subsidies. Coordination with the State government, too, may have been absent in the past, he adds.

Besides, Doshi says, GEDA isn't getting enough cookers or chulhas from manufacturers. In this case, too, ineffective marketing back-up is held responsible. In this confused scenario, only one fact emerges clearly: that the government does not which way it is going on the alternative energy sources front. And until it makes up its mind, things are unlikely to improve.