Sukhbir inaugurates solar power plant

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today inaugurated a pollution free solar power project here which will generate 34 mw power and cater to the power needs of more than 250 villages comprising one lakh households.
Inaugurating the project, he said that by the end of this year, Punjab will be able to generate 250 mw power from solar projects.
He said by the end of December next year Punjab will achieve solar generation capacity of 2000 mw power.
The government is contemplating to install solar panels on the rooftops of tubewells and residential complexes, he said.
He said once the solar panels were installed on tube well rooftops the farmers of the state could get uninterrupted and pollution free power.

This policy would not only reduce the power expenditure of consumers but also become a source of income since the farmers would be able to sell their surplus power to the grid, Badal said.

He said for this purpose the state government had formulated and approved a Net Metering Policy and people should come forward to generate requisite power through solar projects.
It had already been decided to put waterlogged area in the priority list for installation of solar projects, the Deputy CM said.
He said infertile land of villages and non-used panchayats land would be identified in waterlogged areas to initiate these projects.