Question : Subsidy Policy for Renewable Energy Sector

(a) whether the Government has initiated/is contemplating to initiate a better subsidy policy for renewable energy sector;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has formulated/is considering to formulate a new cheap renewable energy investment policy to reduce the cost of renewable energy units;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the number of families in Tonk-Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan benefited by the above-mentioned policies during the last three years?

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND POWER (I/C)
(SHRI R.K. SINGH)

(a & b) The Government is implementing various schemes/programs to promote development and deployment of renewable energy in the country. The Central Financial Assistance (CFA) incentives/subsidies being provided vary from scheme to scheme for approved time period as per the scheme/program. The details CFA/ incentives/subsidies being offered presently under various schemes/programs of Ministry of New & Renewable Energy are given in the Annexure.

(c & d) The Government has taken various steps to reduce the cost of renewable energy. These, inter-alia, include the following:

(i) Announcement of a target of installing 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by March, 2022;
(ii) Declaration of trajectory for Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) up to the year 2021-22;
(iii) Fiscal & financial incentives such as Capital Subsidy, Viability gap funding (VGF), accelerated depreciation benefits,etc;
(iv) Permitting 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) under the automatic route in renewable energy sector;
(v) Issued guidelines for procurement of solar and wind power through tariff based competitive bidding process;
(vi) Waiving of Inter State Transmission System Charges and losses for inter-state sale of solar and wind power for projects to be commissioned up to March, 2022;
(vii) Raising funds from bilateral and multilateral finance and development institutions;
(viii) Implementation of Green Energy Corridor project to facilitate integration of large scale renewable generation capacity addition.

(e) As per Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Limited, 197 households of Tonk district have been benefitted through solar photovoltaic (SPV) off grid domestic lighting systems. Further, 558 farmers of Tonk district and 78 farmers of Sawai Madhopur district have been benefitted through solar water pumping scheme.
*****