In an effort to give an impetus to industrial development and bridge the gap between demand and supply of power in Uttarakhand, the State Government is launching a new Mini Hydro Power project policy 2015. The Governor of Uttarakhand Dr KK Paul gave his approval to the draft of the policy. The policy caters the hydro power projects with a capacity of 02 MW to 25 MW.
The policy aims to harness the potential of the rivers and streams flowing through the state by promoting the run of the river projects which cause least damage to environment and minimum population displacement. The state government has proposed many incentives to the industries interested to install captive power plants in the state.
The policy gives tax exemptions on the power plants that are completed before time. In a major incentive the state government has also waived off the necessity of obtaining ‘Right of Way’ by the private power plants. The private plants need to get this clearance for putting up power transmission lines from the hydro power station to the grid substation. The government has also decided to do away with the No Objection Certificate (NOC) required from the irrigation department for setting up a mini hydro power project.