To encourage investments in clean energy in the state, the Odisha government has released its most recent State Renewable Energy Policy 2022, with a focus on emerging fields including green hydrogen, green ammonia, floating solar, and wind energy, among others.
The state intends to boost its installed renewable energy capacity, which is currently 627 MW, to 10,000 MW by 2030.
Odisha, which has typically not been considered a state with high renewable energy potential, is aiming to incentivise and focus on clean energy development within the state, as reflected in its latest renewable energy policy. Recognising that national renewable energy policies have favoured certain states rich in renewable resources, Odisha aims to address this gap and harness its renewable energy potential through state-level interventions while drawing in investors into the sector. The state government is offering exemption on duty and surcharges, along with other benefits and is targetting renewable energy capacity of 10,000 Megawatt (MW), or 10 GW, by 2030, according to its renewable energy policy, 2022. The policy also focuses on new sources of renewables such as green hydrogen and green ammonia along with floating solar, wind energy, and more.
The new Odisha policy, published on December 1, comments on the federal government’s national waiver of Interstate Transmission System (ISTS) tariffs, stating that this national waiver has produced market distortion and impeded the growth of renewable energy (RE) projects in Odisha. The state policy document advocates for a new RE policy that will make it easier for projects utilising various RE technologies to be developed that are financially viable in the state. “One of the top industrialised states is Odisha. Due to Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) and Net Zero obligations, there is a clear demand for renewable energy from the discoms (distribution firms) and the industries, the report says.
Prasanta Patnaik