TURA, Aug 9: Former Congress candidate from Mendipathar and President of the District Youth Congress in North Garo Hills, Timjim K Momin on Wednesday said that the utilization of solar energy can act as an alternative to the state’s power limitations.
“Between the state’s annual power needs of roughly 1700 million units and its annual power production of 1000 or 1100 units, Meghalaya currently has an energy shortage of 600 to 700 MW, and it is anticipated that this gap would widen as a result of the insufficient supply of power. Additionally, regular use of power-driven electrical appliances, electronic devices, and mobile phones is increasing energy consumption, which will be hazardous in the future,” the former Congress candidate said.
According to Momin, solar energy may be vital in resolving the State’s energy crisis, with the majority of the State obtaining an appropriate amount of solar energy and that to promote the methodical maximization of the solar energy potential, an appropriate policy framework is required.
Momin added that although the state government of Meghalaya embraced the central scheme through the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) for the rooftop solar project, the majority of state’s residents are unaware of it and are not taking advantage of it.
The Youth Congress leader also suggested the implementation of Net Energy Metering (NEM), a billing system which enables recipients to receive credit for extra solar energy produced on sunny days in order to reduce the amount of grid electricity used on cloudy days.
“When you send extra solar electricity onto the grid, net metering works by spinning your energy meter backward. Typically, homeowners size their solar systems to offset 100% of their electricity use, which means they feed back as much electricity into the grid as they consume. This may replace your electricity bill with cheaper monthly payments on your solar panels if you use NEM and 100% solar offset. Once the system is paid off, you no longer pay for either, and the savings begin to accrue,” he said.
“The government is required to inform MeECL’s standard Feed-in-Tariff of any off-site solar energy installations made by businesses. All entities using grid power and having government-supported solar arrays shall only be subject to net metering. As some of the power board’s clients have some of the largest unpaid balances and high production cost demands, Meghalayan manufacturers and businesses must also be compensated in addition to the energy board,” he added.
Momin said that in order to encourage the installation, upkeep, and ongoing operation of solar systems, the state government should develop a plan to collaborate with banks and offer generation-based specific state incentives rather than capital subsidies. According to him, this would inspire and develop enterprises, start-ups, and organizations in the State that are building cutting-edge solar-powered technologies and also open up a ton of opportunities for direct and indirect jobs in the solar business and related sectors, which will help the state’s effort to develop green energy.
Momin further pointed out that solar energy has the potential to significantly reduce the state’s impending power problem if the state government takes seriously its deployment by mounting a more active campaign against the scheme and by providing greater incentives to consumers who embrace the scheme.
“Government should effectively aim to reach at least 200 MW by 2025 and 800 to 1000 MW by 2030 in terms of installed capacity for the State’s solar industry, which will address the current electricity crisis in Meghalaya in another seven to ten years. Therefore, in order to bring about a paradigm change in the way energy is used on a micro and macro level, the government must educate the populace about the policies and how they should be implemented, as well as educate people to adopt solar,” he said.
