Power ministry working on framework to encourage people to go off grid
With a view to ensure better capacity utilisation of wind energy projects, union power ministry is developing a framework for repowering wind farms from 200-300 watt units to 2-5 mega watt that are available in the market, minister for power, coal, and new and renewable energy, Piyush Goyal said at an ASSOCHAM event.I am looking at ways to get repowering done, I know the challenges of new wind sights or getting land, we are trying to get squatters out of the land which they are squatting on but not implementing projects and we are talking to states to create a more robust framework, said Goyal while addressing an industry interactive session on renewable energy sector organised by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).
He also informed that the government plans to use off-grid power generation in certain villages.
We are creating a framework that whenever the grid reaches there, the off grid guy can supply that power like net metering into the grid, so we are creating that framework to encourage people to go off grid, said Goyal.
Talking about the discom resolution, Goyal said, We are not only ceased of it but we are working relentlessly on a daily basis to fine tune and refine our proposals on that without giving any subsidy again or any grant/additional money (to the states).
Discom resolution is on the cards and we are very confident to have been able to create a sustainable robust framework in consultation with states, said the power minister.
He also said that the government was finalising the contours of power tariff policy. We are reviewing the tariff policy and very soon we will be taking it into the cabinet, it has very exciting features for the renewable energy sector.
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Goyal also said it is imperative to make the renewable energy sector self-sufficient and self-reliant by cutting back on subsidies. Subsidy for the renewable energy sector is a sensitive issue, ideally now time has come we should move out of the subsidy.
The minister also said that government plans to bring down the cost of each LED bulb to Rs 44 from a level of Rs 74 through competitive bidding.
Talking about the slow progress of hydel power sector, Goyal said that he has been able to get the Rs 9,000 crore worth Teesta power project back on line and with work expected to start soon it is likely to come on stream in a year's time.
He also asked the industry associations to work in the national interest and not to become postman for scamsters or those following bad business practices.
Talking about the poor progress of renewable energy sector in India, Goyal said, Effectively what I inherited was a situation where the industry had almost given up hope, you had anti-dumping looming large on solar industry, wind industry was crumbling in the back of withdrawal of certain fiscal benefits, bagasse based plants were almost dead or sick, small hydel was already over.
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