KalingaTimes Correspondent
Bhubaneswar, July 1: Passing an order on a petition filed by the developers of small hydro electric projects of under 25 MW capacity who were facing difficulties in implementation of their projects due to bureaucratic delays, the Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission has directed the state government to take proactive and transparent steps for the smooth development of renewable energy in the state.

In consonance with the National electricity Policy and the Electricity Act, 2003 to promote production and use of green and clean power, the OERC had fixed a target procurement of 3 percent from renewable energy sources of the total power purchased in 2007-08. This would go up by 0.5 percent each year till it reached 5 percent in the year 2011-12. However this was unlikely to happen as there is practically negligible production of renewable power in the state, the Commission observed.

GRIDCO & the DISTCOMs were unable to procure power for lack of any development of renewable energy such as small hydro, wind, bio-mass co-generation, solar, etc in the state. The relevant departments and agencies of the government were either moribund or had made procedures so complex and slow that developers of renewable energy projects were finding it extremely difficult to make any progress in the matter.

This general lack of enthusiasm on the part of government agencies and bureaucratic hurdles was a great dampener upon renewable energy development and stifling all efforts in the procurement of such energy, observed the Commission.

Many Detailed Project Reports (DPR) by private developers for small hydro electric renewable energy projects were gathering dust for more than three years due to delay in approval by the State Technical Committee. The Committee issues Techno Economic Clearance for the DPRs.

No special Cell for dealing with hydro electric projects had been created under Water Resources Department and as a result small hydro power developers were facing immense problems in getting their feasibility report/detailed project reports examined and approved.

While the Commission appreciated the fact that feasibility reports and DPRs must be carefully scrutinised, it, however, said that the inordinate delay in such scrutiny and the practice of keeping such reports without any action and response for years together was inexplicable and cannot be countenanced.

“Care and caution cannot be the excuse for gross carelessness and inaction. Government must take steps to lay down clearance, schedules and time-lines with a clear framework within which such clearances will be given, in an open and transparent manner. Whilst many states have surged ahead with the development of renewables, the State of Odisha is badly lagging behind, despite the huge potential available not only in small hydel, but also in wind and solar sources,” regretted the OERC.

After hearing all the parties and perusing the case records, the Commission directed the Water Resources Department to file a detailed list of DPRs showing how many proposals were pending with them for how long and reasons thereof.

The Commission further directed that there should be effective coordination between Water Resources Department and Energy Department for hassle-free and speedy clearance of the pending DPRs in overall interest of the state and ‘sittings' of the State Technical Committee be held at regular intervals so that quick decision may be taken on the sub-standard and incomplete project reports.

The Commission also directed the state Government to finalise expeditiously the guidelines for development of small hydro power projects.