Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has issued an empanelment tender to install approximately 30 MW of grid-connected solar rooftop projects in the range of 1 kW to 1,000 kW. The projects will be developed under the CAPEX mode with the net metering facility. However, the final capacity will vary as per the MNRE’s allocation for the state. As per the capacity distribution and eligibility conditions for bidders, PSPCL states that the tentative allocation of 30 MW will be distributed among all the eligible bidders in all the capacity ranges. The last date for the submission of tenders is November 14, 2019.
In October 2019, The Punjab government has launched a draft renewable energy policy, which aims to meet 21 per cent of its power requirement from renewable energy source by the year 2030. To meet this target, the policy has set a target to set up 3,000 MW of solar projects by 2030. These solar projects will include utility-scale, canal-top, rooftop, floating, and hybrid solar projects. The policy also seeks to deploy 1,500 MW of non-solar generation capacity which includes biomass, bagasse co-generation, and small hydro. The policy has provided exemption on state goods and service tax, electricity duty, stamp duty, and property tax. The policy has also announced fiscal incentives for small hydel and canal-top solar projects.
From just about 9 MW in 2013, Punjab has increased its installed solar power capacity by almost 100 times in a span of five years. This impressive growth in solar power capacity can be largely attributed to the state government’s initiatives to promote the ease of doing business. Apart from solar power, biopower and small-hydro power have seen significant investments in recent years.