Solar in Haryana,India – Why "Hareda" is giving priority to JNNSM sanctioned Solar Plants

Solar Power in India has immense potential and the government has set up an ambitious target of 20 GW by 2022 under JNNSM.However the execution on the ground is sadly lacking despite the good intentions as most of the solar projects sanctioned in Phase 1 faced delays due to aggressive bidding,debt financing,lack of expertise etc.Both big private utilities,module manufacturers and state government have started to take cognisance of this problem.Haryana which has got around 8 MW of projects under JNNSM has decided to help out the solar project developers.

CERC Guideline of 15% by 2020 might mean huge outgo for RECs

CERC  had already made it mandatory for 6% of the Electricity to be generated from Renewable Energy Sources.Haryana has a long way to go to achieve 6% which will increase to 15% by 2020 and might have to buy a huge amount of expensive Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) unless it gets its act together

Haryana desperately needs Solar Energy

HAREDA which is the state renewable energy development agency akin to MNRE at the centre will put these solar farms under a fast track approval process.Note Red Tape in India is quite notorious especially for small project developers who lack the connections and resources to get things done.Note Haryana gives seperate incentives on its own for solar energy,solar water heaters and solar lighting as well.Haryana is desperately deficient in renewable energy despite being one of the most industrialized and fastest growing states in the country.Haryana cities like Gurgaon and Faridabad have benefited hugely from being part of India’s National Capital Region (NCR).However Haryana only generates 0.5% of its 4000 MW of Electricity from Renewable Energy Sources.The state has negligible Wind or Biomass Energy.Despite a Department of Renewable Energy being setup to specifically promote the use of Alternative Energy Sources,the state has not had much success.Haryana is richly endowed with Solar Energy Resources with 320 days sunny days.The State has managed to win some allocation from the centre’s JNNSM scheme.It is also promoting the use of solar energy through disseminating solar kits amongst 2000 schools and providing solar lighting in around 500 villages.

From the Financial Express

The government has put nine solar power projects in Haryana on fast track to meet the mid-September deadline. The projects of 8.8 mw to be set up under Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) were reviewed recently by the ministry of new and renewable energy and the state nodal agency—Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency (Hareda)—submitted the progress report.

A senior official of Hareda told FE, “The main problem that these project developers are facing is getting the statutory approvals on time. Keeping this in mind we have written to all the concerned departments to take up their cases on priority and give approvals as soon as possible. Land is already in possession for all projects and the financial closure is under process for the projects with one developer already having achieved the same.”