13-05-2025
- Business
- United News of India
Special zones must be created for green energy generation: Manohar Lal Khattar
Mumbai, May 13 (UNI) To reach the goal of increasing the country's nuclear power generation to 100 gigawatts by 2047, every state needs to create special zones for generating green energy and achieve 'net zero emissions, said Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday.
Distribution companies should increase efficiency by implementing measures such as infrastructure and smart metering under the reforms-based, results-linked distribution sector Scheme (RDSS). Funds are being made available to states for smart metering projects and priority should be given to installing prepaid smart metres in all government establishments.
He was speaking in the Western Region Regional Energy Ministers' Conference, which was organised at Sahyadri Guest House.
On this occasion, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister of State (Power and New and Renewable Energy) Shripad Naik, Gujarat Finance and Power Minister Kanubhai Desai, Goa Energy Minister Ramkrishna alias Sudin Dhavalikar, Madhya Pradesh Energy Minister Pradyuman Singh Tomar, Minister of State for Energy Meghna Sakore Bordikar and senior officials of the Ministry of Power participated.
Khattar said an economically viable and future-ready power sector is necessary for the progress of the country.
The goal of 'Developed India 2047' can be achieved through coordination between the central and state governments.
The regional conference will understand the problems of the states and take measures to address them. It is necessary to increase energy storage capacity through pump storage projects and battery energy storage projects.
The distribution sector is the most important link in the power sector. Inconsistent tariff structure, incomplete billing and recovery, and arrears are the major challenges in the power distribution sector. It is necessary to reduce power losses and bridge the gap between power generation costs and income, said Khattar.
For this, the tariff structure should be designed keeping in mind the costs, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that Maharashtra is the first state to prepare a Resource Adequacy Plan for the next 10 years of electricity demand. The state's Energy Transition Plan has also been finalised.
A decentralised distributive solar project with a capacity of 16,000 MW is being implemented for agriculture. The central government should cooperate in implementing this project, which will not only provide solar energy at low prices, but will also be useful for grid stability.
Ujjwal Discom Assurance Scheme (UDAY 2.0) should be implemented in the state, he added.
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