India 's program to increase solar power generation doesn't discriminate against foreign equipment makers and complies with World Trade Organization, a senior government official said Thursday.

He was responding to a complaint filed at the WTO by U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, who said that a provision in India 's solar energy program asks power producers to locally source equipment.

"Our solar program hasn't stopped imports of equipment, but rather insisted on local sourcing only for certain specific items" in projects which were handed out last year, the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy official told The Wall Street Journal.

He added that the provision applied only to "a few projects totaling 350 megawatts."

He didn't give further details.

India 's solar program envisages the installation of 20 gigawatts of solar capacity in several phases by 2022 to supplement electricity generated by thermal, hydroelectric and nuclear energy sources, as the country grapples with a severe shortage of electricity to run its factories and homes.

Διαβάστε ακόμα