PANAJI
With High Tension (HT) power consuming enterprises excluded, Goa's industrial sector has cold-shouldered the solar energy policy notified by the State government which many have welcomed for its encouraging incentives for residential, educational and social institutes.
The policy with a two-year tenure ends on March 31, 2026 and the State government has pledged to put in Rs 36.47 crore in subsidies and other incentives in this tenure.
However, industry sources said with HT power consumers completely left out of its ambit, the policy could go abegging in relation to its clean energy and climate change goals.
"If the government intends to make any impact with the introduction of solar power in Goa's industrial sector, it has to bank on bigger HT power using industry. The policy will have to be tweaked to include the large industries," said an industrialist operating from the Verna industrial estate.
The first-generation entrepreneur did not want to be identified because the Goan industrial bodies are yet to formulate their official stand on the State government's solar policy.
"I have notified our representative body to make a representation to the State government demanding that the policy be tweaked so that HT power using industries also benefit," he said.
Under the policy introduced in 2020 and also the new one notified this year, industry and commercial enterprises are eligible only if they are LT power users.
The subsidy is restricted to 90KWp of the sanctioned load, which is ambiguous on whether HT users can also avail the subsidy if the solar plant size is less than 90KW.
"Even if it is permitted, that is HT power consuming units are eligible, it does not make commercial sense for large industries to restrict its investment for solar energy which are under 90 kilowatts," the industrialist said, adding that it will be prudent for the government to rope in the larger entrepreneurs to meet the solar energy targets because only they have the financial muscle to make large investments for a shift to solar power.
Official data, meanwhile, reveals that till date 850 residences have installed solar power units generating approximately 9 megawatts across the State.
Additionally, another 200-odd commercial enterprises and institutions have installed solar power units aggregately generating about 13 megawatts.
