Odisha to encourage people on renewable energy: CM

The Odisha government plans to bring in a policy which would encourage people to harness and utilise renewable energy on their rooftops and in backyards, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said on Thursday.

Sensitising legislators at a programme on renewable energy development, the chief minister said the government was taking an ambitious programme of energising deep bore wells through solar power, particularly where conventional power is yet to reach or is too expensive to reach.

"This will help us save huge expenditure that we would have incurred in drawing long power lines to farmers' fields and also on the power losses. This will resume irrigation and encourage farmers to go for 2-3 crops a year," Patnaik said.

Emphasising on commercial production of energy through renewable sources, he said the government has already set up more than 100 MW of renewable capacity and it would be increased in the coming years.

He said the Green Energy Development Corporation of Odisha Ltd. will set up a 20 MW solar power project at Manamunda and a 5 MW rooftop solar project in Bhubaneswar-Cuttack shortly.

He also said the government was identifying land to set up a 500 MW ultra mega solar park in the state.

The chief minister urged lawmakers to promote renewable energy in various sectors that would counter global warming and climate change.