Monday, June 02, 2014: Taking its solar mission a step ahead, the Karnataka government is now planning to add 1,000 MW of solar power to its grid within 15 months. The state energy minister Shivakumar said that the state is planning to issue tenders for the same.
According to a report from The Hindu, Shivakumar said that the potential bidders will be invited for a total capacity of 450MW within a week through the tenders. The selected bidders will set set up solar plants.
The Karnataka government is also thinking on the lines of encouraging the households and entrepreneurs, to install solar units on rooftops for solar power generation. According to the plan, about 300 MW of the planned 1000 MW capacity will be allocated to the state farmers, by encouraging them to set up small plants on their farmland, to generate a capacity of 1 to 3MW.
The farmers will also have the option of leasing out their land to the solar power developers through the government, to participate in the solar mission of the state. The report quoted Shivakumar as saying, “Even those having a house on a 30X40 ft site can set up a solar plant on their rooftop and sell the excess power, which is left after taking care of their own requirements, to Escoms. They would have to install a two-way meter which would measure the flow of power in both the directions.”
