Solar power on sale by 2013?
In a significant development that will change the country’s energy scenario, the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) plans to produce 1,000 MW of solar energy in the next two years, to be supplied to consumers at the same rate they now buy power for domestic consumption. New and renewable energy minister Farooq Abdullah and power minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Sunday jointly released guidelines for the mission’s first phase.
While the cost of solar energy has been fixed by the Central Regulatory Electricity Commission (CERC) at Rs 17.91 for PV (photovoltaics) and Rs 15.31 for solar thermal power project, Dr Abdullah explained: “Since this energy will be bundled with regular power supply on a four-to-one scale (4 MW regular to 1 MW solar), the price will come down to Rs 4-5 per unit.” The minister added: “This will make it economical.”
Purchase of renewable power by electricity distribution companies has been made compulsory, and NTPC’s power trading arm Vidyut Vyapar Nigam is the designated sole nodal agency to buy power generated by independent solar power producers.
JNNSM hopes to generate 2,000 MW solar power in its second phase (2013-17), going up to 20,000 MW by 2022.
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