Telangana is set to come out with a new wind and hybrid solar-wind energy policy frameworks to provide impetus to the rapidly expanding renewable energy sector.
The State, which has an installed renewable energy generation capacity of 1,400 MW, expects to take it past 3,800 MW.
Renewable energy expo
Ajay Mishra, Special Chief Secretary, Energy, Telangana, said the State was aiming at sustaining the growth momentum in the renewable energy sector with focus on the distributed development model as against the solar parks approach.
“The distributed development model has worked well for us and is being keenly watched by other States. Solar project developers are offered opportunity to develop units based on the demand supply situation,” he said speaking at Second Edition of RenewX 2017, a renewable energy exposition hosted by UBM India.
“We will continue to play a role of the facilitator and soon come out with a new solar-wind hybrid policy that will further accelerate the growth of the renewable energy sector,” he said.
Referring to 900 kilowatt solar power installation at Raj Bhavan, he said this is one of the biggest such installations on rooftop in the State. Similar initiatives are planned across other major buildings.
Citing the example of Scheduled Caste Development Department, Mishra said it is proposed to set up about 3 MW of rooftop solar installations in 230 residential schools.
The per capita consumption in Telangana has gone up to 1,390 units per annum as against 1,100 units. Consumption in Telangana ranks high among States, he said.
Mentioning that State ranks top in ease of doing business, he said as per estimates, the energy demand is projected to go up by about 7 per cent per annum. However, if one compares with last year, when the demand was at 150 million units per day, it has now shot up to 180 million units per day. Yet State was confident of meeting the increase in demand, he said.
A Sudhkar Rao, CMD of Telangana New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation, said thus far, power purchase agreements have been signed for 3800 MW of solar and all of them are expected to be ready by March-June 2018.
The State is on course to develop 5000 mw of renewable energy capacity by 2019.
Rao said Telangana was also seeking to encourage setting up of mini solar plants close to transformers so that it could help provide power to agriculture sector.
Source:thehindu
