Govt eying 500GW electricity capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030: RK Singh

The government is working towards achieving 500GW of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030, New and Renewable Energy and Power Minister RK Singh said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

Listing out several steps taken to promote renewable energy in the country, the minister said the government has permitted Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of up to 100 per cent under the automatic route in the renewable energy sector.

The government has also allowed waiver of Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) charges for inter-state sale of solar and wind power for projects to be commissioned by June 30, 2025. The government has laid new transmission lines and created a new sub-station capacity for evacuation of renewable power, he said.

He said the government has also chalked out a declaration of trajectory for Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) up to the year 2022. Setting up renewable energy parks to provide land and transmission to renewable energy developers on a plug and play basis are also in the pipeline.

RK Singh said schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM), Solar Rooftop Phase II, 12,000 MW CPSU Scheme Phase II, etc., have also been launched for the sector.

As per the minister, the government has issued orders that power will be dispatched against Letter of Credit (LC) or advance payment to ensure timely payment by distribution licensees to renewable energy generators.

The other initiatives taken by the government are notification of standards for deployment of solar photovoltaic system/devices, setting up of project development cell for attracting and facilitating investments, standard bidding guidelines for tariff-based competitive bidding for procurement of power from grid-connected solar PV and wind projects.

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