Jharkhand has set an ambitious goal to source mammoth 2650 MW clean electricity using solar radiation in the next five years.
The Cabinet on Tuesday okayed a forward looking solar policy for the State which besides, paving ways for large solar parks, would also facilitate small plants and households to contribute to the power grid.
Informing about the decision after the Cabinet meeting, Additional Chief Secretary NN Pandey said that the policy would encourage investment into the sector. “The Cabinet has approved Solar Power Policy-2015. It has provisions for perks, rebates and facilities to attract investors for setting up solar power plants across the State. The policy aims to harness 2650 MW of solar power by 2020,” said the Secretary.
The Pioneer had first reported about the upcoming solar power policy that has the design of Solar Parks of about 500 MW capacity on the Government acquired land with fully developed necessary infrastructures. One such location has been ideated currently in Dumka region and would come up at concentrated plot, measuring 300 to 500 acres of land.
“The Government would act as a facilitator by making available all desired infrastructure such as road, water, grid connectivity, power evacuation system apart from making available land from acquisition or providing Government land. An investor has just to build the solar plant without bothering about facilities,” explained Pandey later.
Successful bidders would get access to the Park, fix tariff in consultation with Jharkhand Stare Energy Regulatory Commission (JSERC), enter into power purchase agreement (PPA) with probable electricity buyers and present detailed project report in this regard. An investor can start putting in money only after entering into PPA so that his investment does not turn futile with failing to find out a purchaser, said a senior official of JREDA, the nodal agency for the policy.
The policy also provides sufficient space for individual consumers who can act as solar power generator and contributor.
“Apart from solar parks, there is also a provision for rooftop grid connected solar power plants. Any electricity consumer can use buildings and other premises for harnessing solar power. They can consume the power generated as well as sell excess power to the grid and earn,” said the Secretary. Such consumers would be encouraged by waiving commercial building rate charged on such premises.
Most interesting part of the policy is about encouraging tiny private solar plants generating electricity in single and double digits. “Plants of 3,5,10 MW capacity can also come up on fully private land or taken on lease by an investor. Such investors need not to enter into bidding process for Government provided space. They can get their tariff fixed with JSERC and sign PPAs for feeding the grid, sale power to any private company locally or even outside the State,” said JREDA Director DK Tewatia.