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The Telangana government is planning to come out with a new solar policy factoring in the changes in the rapidly expanding renewable energy sector.
The policy framework will take forward the State government agenda and align with the Centre’s larger target of achieving 175 GW (giga watt) capacity by 2022.
The State also plans to come out with fresh solar tenders for capacity addition including for a couple of large floating projects in the two major reservoirs of the State.
Ajay Mishra, Special Chief Secretary, Telangana, said that the solar policy announced about five years ago provided a push to the sunrise industry with an installed capacity of about 3,600 MW. And cumulatively, the State’s renewable energy capacity is up at 3,800 MW.
Having achieved its near term goals, it is time to re-strategise and look at setting up more capacity by coming out with a new policy that is in tune with the changed requirements, he said.
Distributed
The distributed solar installation approach has made a big impact on the State’s energy pool by enabling it to harness the potential of unused transmission networks thereby paving the way for supplying power to deficit locations.
Speaking at the Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Mishra said the State started with over 30 per cent power deficit and industrial units had to face two days of power holidays in a week, and rural areas had power barely for few hours. However, with a focussed approach, the State managed to ensure 24x7 power supply within months of the new government’s formation in 2014.
New capacity
“Thereafter, it has grown from strength to strength and we are in the process of developing additional thermal power capacity of 9,000 MW over the next few years,” he said.
“Due to elections, fresh tenders could not be floated. We look forward to offer new projects factoring these changes and including the lower prices at which new projects are coming up,” he said.
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