Bengal to implement solar RPO this year

In a bid to boost non-conventional energy production, the West Bengal government is set to implement the solar renewable purchase obligation (solar RPO) this year, a minister said Friday.

The RPO mandates that every company generating, distributing and consuming power has to source around nine percent of its energy from renewable energy components.

"The solar RPO will be implemented this year. The state Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC) has not said anything on the penalty issue but it will be brought into effect by next year," said Power and Non-conventional Energy Sources Minister Manish Gupta.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the "Energy Sustainability Conclave 2013: Energy Security-Empowering the Energy Future", organised here by the Bengal Chamber.

Renewable or non-conventional energy resources include wind, solar, hydro and biogas.

The solar RPO policy devised for all the states, determines the amount of renewable energy production target to be achieved by each state and the country. It is part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change.

"In West Bengal the renewable energy production is 193 megawatts and this will go up to 1,040 megawatts by the end of the 12th Plan. Most of the renewable energy is solar power which is concentrated in districts which have higher radiation like Bankura etc," Gupta said.

For West Bengal, the RPO targets are expected to go up to 0.60 percent in 2018 from 0.25 percent in 2013-2014.

Companies which fail to fulfill their RPO targets will have to pay penalty as decided by the ERC.