Goa approves new solar policy

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On Wednesday, the Cabinet of Goa approved the Goa State Solar Policy – 2017, a new legislation for the development of solar PV, which aims to deploy around 150 MW of capacity by 2022.

If reached, this capacity will fulfill the target set by India’s Union Ministry for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) under the National Solar Mission for its smallest state.

According to Goa’s government, solar power generation will be divided into three categories: solar generators up to 100 kW under net metering, commercial and industrial installations exceeding 100 kW, and large-scale solar plants.

According to the policy’s draft, which was openend for public consultation in July, the state of Goa intends to develop solar parks ranging in size from 50 kW to 10 MW on private land, for fulfilment of the Solar Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO). Projects will be selected through reverse bidding, on the basis of maximum discount offered on the levelized tariff fixed by the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC).

The state will also encourage independent power producers to install solar power plants for captive use or sale of electricity to any person other than power distributors (the so-called Discom), or sale of power to Discoms at average power purchased costs under the Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) mechanism specified by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC).

Goa’s Power Minister Pandurang Madkaikar said the program will be implemented in several phases, and that the first phase envisages the development of around 50 MW, reports local portal, Heraldgoa.

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