The response received by the Punjab Government to its ambitious plans of expanding power generation through sustainable and renewable energy sources involving individual private players, farmers, has left it in a peculiar dilemma.
Officials are now contemplating whether to expand the programme or not now as this will be in direct competition to the thermal power produces in the State. The energy output in the State is expected to increase in the coming months as the thermal plants under construction start generating electricity. Punjab Government is now reluctant to go for further expansion of the renewable energy sector.
In the last three years from 2013 to 2015, Punjab got overwhelming response on the proposals of inviting private players into power generation through sustainable or renewable sources. In the first tender process, the department got bids for 269 MW and 25 projects of 188 MW have already commissioned with an investment of Rs1,800 crore. The second tender of 250MW in December’2014, got bids for 389 MW. Out of these 24 projects of 228MW were set to be commissioned by 31st January’ 2016 with an investment of Rs1,700 crore.
The third tender of 500MW was floated in June’2015 and bids for 1650 MW were received. These projects with Rs3,000 crore investment could be commissioned on 31st Jan’2017. The scheme floated for farmers too got good response and department got bids for 629 MW, while the bids were sought for 500 MW only. Even the Rooftop Gross Metering tender for 100 MW received encouraging response and the 400 crore project is expected to be operational by March, 2016. The Canal top solar gross metering project too has stood up to expectations.
Having got such response in the previous bidding processes, the Government is now flooded with requests for floating more tenders inviting people into solar energy but keeping the power expansion in the coming days in mind, the Government is reluctant. Companies in the private power sector like thermal too are not too eager to lose out and have apprised the authorities about their concern.
Replying on the scope of expanding further, New and Renewable Energy Minister Bikram Singh Majithia said that world over solar power was new sunshine area and Punjab has taken the initiative to make most of it.