Delhi govt to increase power generation capacity by 6,000 MW through renewable energy sources: Delhi Dy CM Manish Sisodia

New Delhi [India], February 9 : A crucial meeting was chaired by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia with officials of the Energy Department on Thursday for an in-depth review of the growing electricity demand in Delhi and the preparations of the Delhi government to meet the demand.
The officials informed the Deputy Chief Minister in the meeting that the highest electricity demand recorded in Delhi was 7,695 MW in the month of June 2022.
"At present, the DISCOMs have power tie-ups for a total of 8,471 MW, out of which 33 per cent of power i.e. approximately 2,826 MW is sourced from renewable sources of energy. This primarily comprises solar energy and wind energy, which contribute approximately 2,000 MW to Delhi's power supply," informed officials.

Discussing the new draft Solar Policy 2022 prepared by the Delhi government, the officials said that under this policy, people in Delhi would be encouraged to install solar panels on rooftops through a Generation Based Incentive (GBI) of Rs 2-3/unit for the residential sector and Rs 1 for the commercial sector.
According to officials, the policy also envisages providing a subsidy of Rs 2,000 per kilowatt per consumer, up to a maximum limit of Rs 10,000. In addition to this, all Government buildings with a rooftop area of 500 square metres and above will be solarised. Through these initiatives, an additional 500 MW of rooftop solar plants can be installed in Delhi over the next 3 years.

Officials said, "DISCOMS are in conversation with various agencies for an additional renewable energy supply of 3000 MW. Officials also mentioned that after the 1000 MW solar plant and 111 MW wind power plants of the Solar Energy Corporation (SECI) are commissioned, Delhi will get 1,100 MW of more electricity sourced from renewable energy. Along with this, work is underway on several renewable energy generation projects for approximately 2100 MW of power, which is expected to be completed soon."

Deputy CM Sisodia said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the people of Delhi are being provided with an uninterrupted, 24x7 supply of electricity and that too at lowest tariffs across the country.
"The Delhi government, having fulfilled its electoral guarantee, also provides free electricity to a large segment of Delhiites," said Sisodia.
He added that the target is to ensure that Delhi is absolutely self-reliant for its electricity requirement, and this bold step towards renewable power generation will show the way forward to the entire nation.
"We will ensure that the people of Delhi continue receiving an uninterrupted supply of electricity in the future as well through progressive steps like these," he said.

"Currently, 33 per cent of the total energy demand in Delhi is met through renewable sources of energy. Over the next 3 years, 6,000 MW of renewable energy shall be generated in Delhi through various initiatives of the government. Thus, in the next 3 years, we aim to shift a major part of Delhi's energy supply to renewable energy, so that our dependence on thermal power plants can be reduced, and we can produce completely clean energy for our citizens. This will also prove to be key in our mission to curb pollution in the city," he continued.

Sisodia also instructed the officials to expedite the installation of rooftop solar plants on the roofs of all Delhi government buildings such as government offices, schools etc. Along with this, he asked officials to explore other potential areas for setting up solar energy plants and also to start exploring pilot projects to set up floating solar plants over water bodies and lakes.

It is also noteworthy that during and after 2018, the Delhi government entered into power purchase agreements with several companies to meet the growing demand for electricity in Delhi.
Although many of these plants are yet to start, the government has signed agreements well in advance to meet the growing energy demand of the city and prevent any interruptions in supply.