Delhi to Produce 2,000 MW Solar Power by 2025: Satyendra Jain

The Delhi Government is targeting to produce 1,000 megawatt (MW) of electricity by 2020 and 2,000 MW by 2025 through solar power generation in a phased manner based on the renewable energy service company (RESCO) mode, Delhi Power Minister, Satyendra Jain has said.

“We want to achieve the 1,000 MW target in next 3-4 years’ time in a phased manner, our target would be 30-40 MW in the 1st year, 100 MW in the 2nd year then 200 MW in the next year followed by 400 MW and so on,” said Jain while inaugurating a conference on ‘Solar Power: 1,00,000 MW @2022 – Accelerating Deployment,’ organised by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

“We aim to fast-tracking solar power projects in Delhi by about 20 per cent,” he noted.

Stressing upon the need for innovation and new inventions in solar power generation, the Minister said, “Solar panels could be installed at railway platforms, metro stations, bus stops, temporary sheds and they could replace asbestos, fibre rooftops and others.”

Terming financing of solar power generation as a challenge, the Delhi Power Minister suggested the financial institutions to introduce ‘solar power mutual funds,’ and luring the investors by providing assured units of power at a fixed rate.

With a view to promote domestic installations of solar panels across Delhi, Jain said, “People willing to install solar panels for domestic consumption may be allowed to increase height of their roofs, this way they will also get a covered veranda.”

He added that there is a huge scope for solar power generation across Delhi, however there are a lot of legal issues involved which need to be resolved beforehand.

The Minister also said that people may be incentivised for installing solar power panel on their rooftop.

He also suggested sale of solar panels as an off the shelf purchase to consumers for installing 2-10 kilo watt (KW) plants.

Talking about an amnesty scheme for residents of JJ clusters who have not been able to pay their power bills, Jain said, “With coming Sunday, pending electricity bills in JJ colonies will be settled and all the disputes including those of power theft will be resolved by September 30th, there are about 2,00,000 such dispute cases.”