Goa won't be able to generate 150 MW solar power by 2021

Milind Naik said electricity department is in talks with Water Resources department to install solar power panel on canals to generate solar power

Goa will not be able to achieve the target of producing 150 MW of solar power by 2021 due to unavailability of flat lands required to set up plants, State Power Minister, Milind Naik said in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday.

"As per Central government guidelines, Goa will have to produce 150 MW of solar power by 2021, but we will have problem to fulfill the obligations due to unavailability of suitable land required to set up the plants," Naik said, while responding to a question tabled by BJP MLA Kiran Kandolkar.

He said state government has been working towards increasing the share of solar power generation.

"We get only 22 per cent results with solar energy generation in Goa. We don't have flat lands, due to hilly terrain it is difficult, to produce solar power in Goa," he said.

Naik said the electricity department is in talks with Water Resources department to install solar power panel on the canals (irrigation projects) to generate solar power.

Another BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral suggested that the solar electricity generated by individuals in their houses should also be calculated to the grid.

To which, Naik replied that as per new Solar Policy, if anyone produces energy at his place, he can use it and transfer the additional power to the grid.

"We are working on making such arrangement to transfer the additional power generated through solar powers by individuals," he said.