After tapping the biomass potential of the state, the Punjab Government is now turning to solar energy for meeting its ever-increasing power demands. If the agreement signed with the US-based Sun Power Corporation and Enterprise Business Solutions is any indication, the state may have a chain of power generating units to add up 1,000 MW to its grid. It will take a couple of years for these solar power-generating units to become fully operational.

A visiting US delegation met Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal at his residence last evening where a presentation was made. To make sure that solar power generation works, the Chief Minister wanted the US Company to put up demo units atop various government buildings. Once the experiment succeeds, other major buildings, too, will have small solar power generating units. Punjab’s efforts to use alternative sources for renewable energy have met with initial success as a biomass power generation plant has been successfully generating 30 MW of power.

Now the Chief Minister wants to take up the matter with Union Renewable Energy Minister Abdullah to get some solar power generating units sanctioned for the state under various schemes of the Ministry of Renewable Energy. Besides biomass waste, Punjab has abundant solar energy that has been going waste. Neighboring Haryana has decided to come out with incentive schemes where those blocks that decide against burning wheat and paddy stubble in the fields would be given cash prizes.

Punjab can follow suit to dissuade farmers from burning stubble and instead supply them to biomass generating units for good financial returns. While Prakash Singh Badal has given in principle approval to the proposal of solar power generation, he also wants the US-based company to set up a centre for youth where training in solar technologies is provided. Gurmeet Naroola of Sun Power business development in India told the Chief Minister that his company was the world’s largest and had the best technology to manufacture high efficiency solar panels.

EBS-Sun Power would bring the latest solar technology with a plan of localized generation with an investment of Rs 500 crore. Chairman-cum-Managing Director of EBS Jessie Singh said EBS-Sun Power in association PEDA would be generating solar power from rooftop installations at different government buildings and any other unutilized place available with the government.