Panaji to become a solar city in 2 years

Panels will be installed on rooftops, says CM

Panaji: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday announced that the state government has set a target to declare Panaji as a solar city in the next two years.

Launching a mobile vehicle for creating awareness on the use of solar energy in the state, Sawant, who is also the Goa Energy Development Agency (GEDA) chairman, said the power requirement for Panaji is 80 MW. “It gives me immense pleasure to announce this solar energy initiative in the capital city of the state,” he said.

The vehicle was launched in Panaji in the presence of Revenue Minister Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate and officials of GEDA.

Stating that installing solar panels is a must to achieve sustainable goal, Sawant said the government of India is providing 40% subsidy and the state government is providing 10% subsidy to individual consumers on the installation of solar panels.

“The state government has plans to install solar panels on rooftops of private as well as government buildings. The Goa government has set a goal of achieving 100% renewable energy usage across all sectors in the state by 2050,” he said.

Sawant said that casinos and other commercial establishments where rooftop solar power generation is not possible can install solar power generation panels at any other place and the power generated by them will be transferred to the grid. He said that it is important that the public support the decision.

The Chief Minister added that this ambitious plan is expected to create around 15,000 additional jobs, with 500 jobs per year dedicated exclusively to the solar and wind energy generation sector.

He said the government is committed to generating 150 MW of green energy in the next two years and will be setting up 100 MW solar power plants throughout Goa.

“The state government has also signed a memorandum of understanding to develop India’s first convergence project to generate green energy for rural and agriculture consumption, and it will soon roll out an affordable clean power project,” Sawant said.