MAPUSA
Power Minister Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar on Monday told the Goa Legislative Assembly that all government buildings in the capital city of Panaji will be solar-powered by 2024.
Dhavalikar also said the target of the government was to source 150 MW of power through solar energy by 2030.
“All the government buildings in Panaji will be fixed with solar roof tops which will be completed by March 2024. We are planning to go for an open tendering process and the work will begin from this financial year,” Dhavalikar said, who is also the Minister for New and Renewable Energy.
The Power Minister was responding to Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginald Lourenco who sought details of the State’s plan to achieve the goal of cent percent use of renewable energy with the assistance of the Union government.
Dhavalikar informed that the State required around 540 MW of power during the day which goes up to 700 MW during the peak hours between 6 to 11 pm.
He said that the Ministry of Renewable Energy and GEDA has decided to make Panaji a solar city.
“We will need to generate at least 80 MW of renewable energy power. To achieve this, we need the support of the people to adopt rooftop solar projects,” he said.
The Power Minister also informed the House that the State government has an ambition to produce 150 MW of power through solar energy by 2030.
Earlier, the Curtorim MLA said that new and better options were available to draw solar energy other than fixing solar panels on the roof tops.
“Now, new and better options are available where one can fix solar glass on the windows. Will the government tries to get the new options in the State,” Lourenco asked.
Dhavalikar informed that the State government would definitely look forward to different options that were available in the market.
It may be recalled that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had announced that Panaji would be a solar city and that its power requirement would be catered using solar energy within 2 years.
