CHENNAI: TANGEDCO has applied to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission for approval to purchase 420 megawatts of solar energy from farmers’ plants. In this regard, further hearings are scheduled to take place before the regulatory commission on Tuesday.
A senior TANGEDCO officer told TNIE that this solar power would be purchased under the prime minister’s Kisan Urga Suraksha Evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM) scheme. Once the power utility gets approval, they will invite bids.
He also pointed out that the KUSUM scheme aims to double farmers’ income. During drought periods, the farmers can earn money through this solar power plant. Individual farmers, groups of farmers, cooperatives, panchayats, farmer producer organizations (FPOs), and water user associations would set up solar-based power plants with capacities ranging from 500 kilowatts to 2 megawatts on barren or fallow land. Adding to this, these power plants can also be installed on cultivable land where crops can also be grown below the solar panels.
The renewable energy power project will be installed within a five-km radius of the sub-stations in order to avoid the high cost of sub-transmission lines and reduce transmission losses. TANGEDCO will procure solar power from farmers at a cost of Rs 3.30 per unit. Consortium of Indian Farmers Association’s state technical secretary, G Ajeethan, told TNIE that TANGEDCO had already introduced this scheme. But it had not been popularized because the utility did not give money to farmers on time. “Though it is a welcome project, getting payment is the prime issue,” he said.
87% consumers have linked Aadhaar: Minister
Chennai: Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji on Tuesday tweeted that out of 2.67 crore electricity service connections, including domestic, hut, handloom and powerloom, and agriculture, 2.34 crore consumers (87.44%) have linked their service connections with Aadhaar until Sunday. ens