Shillong, Feb 27: After fourteen long years without any fresh policy on power generation, a new draft has finally emerged, with the state cabinet granting its approval to the Draft Meghalaya Power Policy, 2024, on Monday. The policy aims to foster the development of sustainable power projects encompassing hydro, thermal, and pumped storage.
State Cabinet Of Meghalaya – Approves Power Policy Of Meghalaya.
Speaking to members of the media following a meeting on Monday, State Power Minister Abu Taher Mondal stated, “We have extensively deliberated on the new power policy, and the cabinet has granted approval to the new power policy.”
The government intends to prioritize the promotion of renewable energy to encourage and foster its development, while conscientiously addressing environmental issues in accordance with the directives of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change to ensure ‘Sustainable Environment Initiatives’.
He conveyed that the old power policy was crafted in 2010. “Fourteen years have passed, and significant changes have occurred in the power landscape, necessitating a new power policy,” he elaborated.
The policy also targets enhancing efficiency in the operations of existing power plants and the generation utility as a whole, constructing, maintaining, and operating an efficient, coordinated, and cost-effective transmission system, enhancing the distribution system, minimizing system losses, and making the system more user-friendly for the public, encompassing billing, handling complaints, etc., related to electricity.
The primary goals of the Policy for the development of Pumped Hydro Power in the state are as follows: to enable the development of Pumped Storage Hydro Projects in the State, to entice private investment, to generate revenue for the government, and to enhance the state’s economy. Additionally, the policy aims to ensure that power from pumped storage hydro projects is available to meet peaking requirements and to fulfill the Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPO) as notified by the Ministry of Power from time to time.
Despite decades of loans, cancelled agreements, and frequent reshuffling within the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited, the state’s power sector has remained in disarray. However, the state government is now optimistic about a turnaround with the recent approval of the new draft power policy.
Meghalaya boasts a significant hydroelectric power potential of nearly 3,000 MW. Nonetheless, the Meghalaya Power Generation Corporation Limited (MePGCL) has only managed to harness 13% of this potential. Currently, the power potential harnessed stands at 378 MW, with another 300 MW under implementation.