Directions : In the following passage, there are blanks, each of which has been numbered. These numbers are printed below the passage and against each, five words are suggested, one of which fits the blank appropriately. Find out the appropriate word in each case. As the country embarks on planning (221) the 12th Plan (2012-17) period, a key question mark (222) hangs over the process is on the energy requirements. Growth is energy-hungry and the aspirations of growing at 9-10% will (223) huge demands on the energy resources of the country. In this energy jigsaw, renewable energy will (224) like never before in the 12th Plan and the (225). By the rule of the thumb, India will (226) about 100 gigawatts (Gw)-100,000 megawatts of capacity addition in the next five years. Encouraging trends on energy efficiency and sustained (227) by some parts of the government—the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, in particular, needs to be complimented for this-have led to substantially lesser energy intensity of economic growth. However, even the tempered demand numbers are (228) to be below 80Gw. As against this need, the coal supply from domestic sources is unlikely to support more than 25 Gw equivalent capacity. Imported coal can add some more, but at a much (229) cost. Gas-based electricity generation is unlikely to contribute anything substantial in view of the unprecedented gas supply challenges. Nuclear will be (230) in the foreseeable future. Among imported coal, gas, large hydro and nuclear, no more than 15-20Gw equivalent can be (231) to be added in the five-year time block. (232) (233) this, capacity addition in the renewable energy based power generation as touched about 3Gw a year. In the coming five years, the overall capacity addition in the electricity grid (234) renewable energy is likely to range between 20Gw and 25Gw. Additionally, over and above the grid-based capacity, off-grid electricity applications are reaching remote places and (235) lives where grid-based electricity supply has miserably failed.
Imported coal can add some more, but at a much "higher" cost is the correct option to be used in the situation. The other options are not appropriate in the given context. Hence the answer is (C).
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