Kerala Electricity Minister Aryadan Mohammed has said the state government would soon unveil a new solar energy policy as part of its initiatives to ramp up the energy security.
‘We have finalised the Solar Power Policy and it will be announced after getting approval from the cabinet,’ he told a sectoral session on ‘Energy, including Green Energy & Environmental Technologies’, as part of the Emerging Kerala Global Connect here. He also announced that the government will launch a ‘10,000 solar home programme’ in the state as a pilot project under the National Solar Mission.
Union Minister of State for Power K C Venugopal said there was enormous potential for solar power in Kerala. ‘The Centre has drawn up a plan for radiation mapping in the country and Kerala’s Palakkad and Kannur may be included in this scheme.’ He said the power requirement of the state would increase to 6,500 MW by 2022. ‘We need to think about meeting this requirement,’ he said, adding the Centre was considering setting up an R&D centre in the state for research in energy and related sectors. The minister also said NTPC was planning to expand its power plant in the state.
—-UNI