Harnessing Solar energy, Options for India

Table 2: Timeline of Indian Policy
Year Policy Description
1974–79
1988–89
5 February
2004
April 2005
2006
2007
3 August
2009
14
November
2009
3
December
2009
Minimum Needs
Programme
(MNP)
Kutir Jyoti
Scheme
Definition of
electrified village
under the Ministry
of Power’s
Memorandum
No.42/1/2001-
D(RE)
Rajiv Gandhi
Grameen
Vidyutikaran
Yojana (RGGVY)
Rural
Electrification
Policy
Semiconductor
Policy
Draft of National
Solar Mission
approved by prime
minister
JNNSM
Central Electricity
Regulatory
Commission
(CERC)
announces tariff
for renewable
energy power
generation
Overall objective was to cover at least 60% of
villages in each state and union territory under the
rural electrification programme by 1990; a target
of 46,464 additional villages were fixed for the
Sixth Plan under the MNP. The actual
achievement, however, was estimated at 34,489
villages. *
Launched for extending single-point light
connections to households of rural poor families
below the poverty line, including Harijan and
Adivasi families.
The definition of an electrified village was
changed (among other things) to at least 10% of
the total number of households in the village being
electrified.
This was a major initiative towards universal
electrification. Under the programme, 90% grant is
provided by the central government and 10% as
loan by the Rural Electrification Corporation
(REC) to the state governments. The REC is the
nodal agency for the programme.
•Access to electricity for all households by 2009.
• Quality and reliable power supply at reasonable
rates.
• Minimum supply of 1 unit per household per
day as a merit good by 2012.
To encourage semiconductor and ecosystem
manufacturing, of which solar PV is also a
component.
A capital subsidy of 20% for manufacturing
plants in Special Economic Zones (SEZ) and
25% for manufacturing plants outside of SEZs,
based on the condition that the net present value
(NPV) of the investment is at least US$ 212
million (`10,000 million [`1,000 crore] @ US$
1 = `47).
The plan has an ambitious target of generating
20,000 MW solar power by 2020; the mission
strategy consists of three phases.
Release of mission document.
For solar power, the tariff period has been
specified as twenty-five years. The CERC has
determined a tariff of `18.44/kWh for solar PV
projects and `13.45/kWh for solar thermal projects
commissioned in FY 2009–10.
India’s Solar-specific Policies CSTEP | Page 36