PANAJI
In a significant push towards renewable energy and sustainability, the State government has proposed several measures in the State Budget, including the launch of a clean energy innovation scheme for youth, promotion of solar power generation in panchayats, incentives for solar retrofitting of fishing boats, and extension of the rooftop solar scheme.
To promote innovation in the renewable energy sector, the government has proposed launching VEDA (Vigyan for Energy Development and Advancement), a scheme aimed at encouraging youth-led innovation and the development of solutions in the clean energy space. A provision of Rs 2 crore has been made in the Budget for the initiative, which is expected to strengthen the State’s renewable energy ecosystem.
Under the Net Positive Panchayat initiative, the government plans to support the establishment of 2.2-MW solar power plants with battery energy storage systems across panchayats. The solar facilities will supply electricity to streetlights, schools, anganwadis, welfare centres and other public institutions, while surplus power can be fed into the grid to generate revenue for local bodies. The initiative is expected to involve an expenditure of around Rs 15 crore.
In a move to reduce dependence on fossil fuels in the fisheries sector, the government has proposed financial assistance for retrofitting fishing boats with solar energy systems. Boat owners will receive up to 60 per cent of the benchmark cost, capped at Rs 3 lakh per vessel. Initially, 50 fishing boats will be covered under the scheme on a first-come-first-serve basis, with an estimated outlay of Rs 1.5 crore.
The government also announced that the grid-connected rooftop solar scheme, which promotes solar installations across residential, commercial, industrial and institutional sectors, will be extended for another three years beyond March 2026, citing the positive response to the programme since its launch in 2023.
The government has also proposed a “State-wise Green Cooking” initiative with an outlay of Rs 10 crore. The programme will be implemented across Anganwadi centres implementing the mid-day meal scheme, tribal residential hostels and government schools, promoting the adoption of cleaner and environmentally friendly cooking methods.
The government plans to set up a 5-megawatt ground-mounted solar power plant at the Goa Engineering College (GEC) to generate clean and reliable electricity while contributing to the State’s renewable energy targets.
