Odisha govt asks green energy development agency to promote solar power

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has asked its renewable energy development agency to come up with cost-effective incentive schemes to promote domestic use of solar power in the state, according to a statement. Chief Secretary SC Mohapatra has directed the Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency to explore options for incentivizing private use of such green power, it said. In a virtual review meeting, the chief secretary told officials to prepare a plan for promotional activities and popularise the use of solar-based agricultural equipment, water heater, lights, and green-powered machines.

New solar technologies in the fields of cold storage, drinking water, millet processing, sewing, and rope-making were also discussed in the meeting, according to the statement issued on Saturday. The agency has 4 lakh renewable energy installations till July and has been able to reduce the emission of more than 30 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, OREDA’s Chief Executive Officer Dhananjaya Swain said.
The OREDA executed 1,163 rooftop solar projects with a total capacity of 12.3 megawatts and 2.44 lakh biogas plants.

It also developed 13,219 solar-powered drinking water projects and distributed 1,687 irrigation pumps and 82,033 green lanterns, he said.