The Union Ministry of New & Renewable Energy has agreed to include Punjab in the ambitious 'Green Corridor Mission' project and the state will now be in line to receive funds for further strengthening of its transmission and distribution infrastructure.
This was after a request in this regard was made by the state's New and Renewable Energy minister Bikram Singh Majithia here today, an official spokesman said.
The funds will help the state ensure efficient evacuation of solar power to the central grid, he added.
Besides this, the Union Ministry has also announced a major roof-top solar power pilot project to demonstrate as well as encourage people to set up their own solar power roof-top projects to successfully implement the Net Metering policy of the state, he said.
These decisions were conveyed here today by Upendra Tripathy, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) at the first regional meet held here, the spokesman said.
Addressing the meeting of states like Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and UT Chandigarh, Majithia said the recently held RE-INVEST-2015 Summit has given a new dimension to the entire renewable energy mission as the Prime Minister had set the ball rolling by throwing a gigantic challenge of 270 GW power production from renewable sources.
He underlined the need for joining of hands by Union Government, State governments and banks to overcome impediments, if any, in achieving this goal.
The Minister said Punjab being a land-locked state faced several challenges in providing land to prospective solar investors.
He said the state had, however, risen to the challenge and taken an initiative to provide government approved land on lease policy to facilitate investors, besides offering power purchase agreements (PPA) with the state utility.
After the successful implementation of 240 MW solar power projects in the state, Punjab has taken a major initiative by offering 65 MW rooftop solar power projects in a single bid.
The Punjab minister said the state has the world's biggest single rooftop project of 7.5 MW in Dera Beas. It was being further upgraded to 31.5 MW in next few months, he added.
Majithia said Punjab has also started a unique net metering policy to encourage residents to install roof-top solar projects for domestic use selling power to state grid.
He said Punjab has also decided in principle to waive off wheeling charges for power produced from renewable resources and a Cabinet nod would be taken soon for this purpose.
The Minister further said, "for realization of 270 Gigawatt power from renewable sources, we have to harness the potential of all sources like solar, biomass, wind and hydro."
He emphasized the need to focus on areas of biomass, bio ethanol and bio CNG as in an agrarian state like Punjab there was annual agri residue availability of 21 million tonne.
Earlier, Upendra Tripathi, Secretary MNRE said there was a paradigm shift in human thinking regarding renewable energy which was a welcome sign. He hoped the nation would achieve its target to enhance present 6 per cent renewable energy production of electricity output to 20 per cent by 2020.
He said that the success of renewable energy projects depends on credit support and the Union Government was working with various financial institutions to ensure more liberal availability of finances for such projects.
