Lok Sabha Question No. 680 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-13
Subject: Pico-Level Electricity
Ministry: NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Asked by: A.P. JITHENDER REDDY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-680

TO BE ANSWERED ON-13.12.2018

## PICO-LEVEL ELECTRICITY

## 680. SHRI A.P. JITHENDER REDDY

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

(a)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government to promote pico-level electricity  generation projects from renewable sources of energy in rural areas;

(b) whether the Government provide, or intend to provide, subsidies or interest- free credit to households for generation of electricity from renewable sources, if so, the details thereof; and

(c)  the  details  of  micro  and  small  level  projects  initiated  in  both,  urban  and  rural  areas,  of electricity generation from organic waste through the use of biogas?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  Under  hydro  power  programme  of  the  Ministry,  subsidy  up  to  Rs.  1.5  Lakh  per watermill/pico-level hydro project with electrical output was available to individual beneficiaries  in  remote  areas  up  till  31.3.2017.  The  scheme  was  not  continued  after 31.3.2017.

Under the Off-grid and Decentralised Solar PV Applications Programme Ministry provides financial support for promotion of the use of solar energy including in the rural areas of the country.

At present, the Phase-III of the Progamme, for which approval was issued on 7 August 2018 covers installation of (i) 3,00,000 solar street lights;  (ii) solar power plants of individual size up to 25 kWp and total aggregated capacity of 100 MWp for providing electricity to schools, hostels, panchayats, police stations and other public service institutions; and (iii) distribution of  25,00,000 solar study lamps to school going children in North Eastern States and LWE affected districts.

In addition, Scheme for distribution of 70 lakh solar study lamp is also being implemented in five States namely Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh, wherein school going children are being provided with solar study lamp.

(b) The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy is implementing Grid Connected Rooftop and Small Solar Power Plants Programme, wherein, Central Financial Assistance (CFA) is being provided  for  installation  of  rooftop  solar  PV  plants  in  residential  sector.  The  CFA  is  upto 30% of the cost arrived through tender process or the benchmark cost prescribed by MNRE, whichever  is  less,  in  case  of  general  category  states/UTs  and  upto  70%  in  case  of  special category states/UTs. The CFA can be availed through State Nodal Agencies of the States.

(c)  During last three  years 96 numbers of organic waste based biogas power projects have been installed in the country including in urban and rural areas. These plants are based on biomass wastes such as cattle dung, animal wastes, food & kitchen waste, poultry dropping waste,  paddy  straw  etc.  State-wise  break-up  of  these  biogas  power  plants  is  placed  at Annexure.

*****

Annexure referred in reply to part (c) of Lok Sabha unstarred parliament question No. 680 for 13/12/2018

## State-wise Break-up of Biogas Power Plants

| Sr. No.   | Name of the State   | Number of Projects Installed in the year   | Number of Projects Installed in the year   | Number of Projects Installed in the year   | Number of Projects Installed in the year   |
|-----------|---------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
|           |                     | 2015-16                                    | 2016-17                                    | 2017-18                                    | Total                                      |
| 1.        | Maharashtra         | 0                                          | 0                                          | 7                                          | 7                                          |
| 2.        | Uttar Pradesh       | 0                                          | 25                                         | 1                                          | 26                                         |
| 3.        | Uttarakhand         | 3                                          | 0                                          | 0                                          | 3                                          |
| 4.        | Punjab              | 5                                          | 4                                          | 5                                          | 14                                         |
| 5.        | Haryana             | 0                                          | 0                                          | 0                                          | 0                                          |
| 6.        | Tamil Nadu          | 8                                          | 5                                          | 0                                          | 13                                         |
| 7.        | Madhya Pradesh      | 0                                          | 4                                          | 0                                          | 4                                          |
| 8.        | Delhi               | 0                                          | 0                                          | 0                                          | 0                                          |
| 9.        | Karnataka           | 0                                          | 0                                          | 7                                          | 7                                          |
| 10.       | Andhra Pradesh      | 1                                          | 6                                          | 0                                          | 7                                          |
| 11.       | Telangana           | 6                                          | 9                                          | 0                                          | 15                                         |
|           | TOTAL               | 23                                         | 53                                         | 20                                         | 96                                         |