The State Government should formulate a strong solar energy policy to use solar power at cheaper costs and to meet power consumption demand particularly in difficult terrains of the State, viewed experts at a programme organsied here recently.
Currently, eight solar power projects with a cumulative capacity of 8 MW are under implementation by private players with the State Government’s incentives. To feed inputs for policy-making, the Youth for Social Development (YSD), an NGO based at Berhampur has undertaken the review of solar energy in the State using the diagnostic toolkit developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI). The toolkit looks at finances, administration, monitoring-revision-reporting, compliance and enforcement which are a key to policy making and implementation.
While around 10,000 villages are yet to be electrified, current power deficit is expected to widen further and hence it is right time for the Odisha Government to encourage make a policy to use renewable energy sources. Even though solar energy is being encouraged by the Union Government through the JNNSM yet the sector in Odisha is plagued by problems like high costs, institutional incapacities, lack of funds and poor stakeholder participation.
On this occasion Additional Secretary of Energy Department Samarajit Nayak, State Chief of UNDP Ambika Nanda, Regional Manager of Oxfam India Akshaya Kumar Biswal and CEE’s Bibhu Prasad Tripathy presented and shared their valuable suggestions for an effective solar energy policy.
Among others, OREDA and GEDCOl officials, Youth for Social Development Secretary Bibhu Prasad Sahu, Coast Council convenor Sudarshan Chhotray, Chetna Society director Dr Narasimha Reddy, Thimma Reddy of People’s Monitoring Group on Electricity Regulation, Andhra Pradesh and Bharat Jairaj from the World Resources Institute were present