Lok Sabha Question No. 4154 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-18
Subject: Affordable Electricity to Masses
Ministry: NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Asked by: Kotha Prabhakar  Reddy, Bidyut Baran Mahato

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENRGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4154

TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.07.2019

## AFFORDABLE ELECTRICITY TO MASSES

## 4154. SHRI KOTHA PRABHAKAR REDDY SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO

Will the Minister of NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to provide reliable, sustainable and affordable electricity to masses focusing the attention towards green energy sources;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken thereon;
- (c) whether the Government aims to set up 500 Giga Watts (GW) of renewable energy capacity by 2030 to reduce the dependence on conventional energy resources under its plan;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken thereon;
- (e) whether power discom requires to buy a fixed quantity of renewable energy under renewable purchase obligation to cut reliance of fossil fuels and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether Government has set defined milestones or policy to reduce the electricity rates for common man in reference to the required demand as per 2022 target and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  (I/C)  FOR  NEW  &  RENEWABLE  ENERGY  AND  POWER AND  MINISTER  OF  STATE  FOR  SKILL  DEVELOPMENT  &  ENTREPRENEURSHIP (SHRI R. K. SINGH)

(a) and (b) Yes Sir. The Government's endeavour remains to provide reliable, sustainable and affordable electricity to the masses with enhanced share of renewable energy in the total energy mix.

Various initiatives taken towards this objective include:-

- i. Announcement of 175 Giga Watts (GW) renewable energy capacity target by 2022;
- ii. Implementation of Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya);
- iii. Flexibility in generation and scheduling of thermal power stations;
- iv. Grid augmentation for absorbing increasing share of renewable energy;
- v. Issue  of  guidelines  for  tariff  based  competitive  bidding  for  procurement  of  power  from  grid connected solar and wind power projects;
- vi. Waiving  inter-state transmission charges and losses for solar and wind  projects to be commissioned by 31 March 2022; and
- vii. Notification of long term Renewable Purchase Obligation trajectory up to the year 2021-22.
8. (c) and (d) As part of Nationally Determined Contributions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, India is committed to achieve about 40 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity  from  non-fossil  fuel  based  energy  resources  by  2030.  The  Government  of  India's  renewable energy policies and programmes have been drawn for achieving this objective.
9. (e)  Yes  Sir.  The  Ministry  of  Power,  on  14  June  2018,  notified  the  long  term  growth  trajectory  of Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPOs) that seeks 21 per cent RPO on Obligated Entities, including distribution companies, uniformly for all States/UTs upto the year 2021-22.
10. (f) One of the objectives of the Tariff Policy 2016 is to ensure availability of electricity to consumers at reasonable and competitive rates. It also mandates  that future requirement of power should be procured competitively  by  distribution  licensees,  and  the  Appropriate  Electricity  Regulatory  Commissions  shall ensure that the benefit of sharing of infrastructure of existing projects and efficiency of new technology is passed on to consumers through tariff.

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