Punjab New and Renewable Energy Department got another feather in its cap as Mr. Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of State (I/C) for Power, Coal and New and Renewable Energy conferred 5 awards to Punjab for outstanding performance in the various fields of Renewable Energy Power Generation including first award for highest capacity addition in grid connected solar rooftop power in the country during the financial year 2014-15.These awards were awarded to Punjab during Foundation Day function of Association of Renewable Energy Agencies of State (AREAS) held at Bengaluru. The other four areas in which Punjab bagged awards includes achieving highest cumulative grid connected solar rooftop power capacity, deployment of highest cumulative numbers of Solar Water Pumps, highest capacity addition of off-grid waste to energy plants and achieving highest capacity addition in grid connected solar power in the country.
Congratulating the New and Renewable Energy department team for the achievement, Mr. Bikram Singh Majithia said that the environment of ‘Ease of Doing Business’ combined with the strong facilitation attracted Rs. 7500 Cr investment in the state. The Department of new and renewable energy has become the flag bearer in scripting the success story of investments in the state. The pro business climate developed during the last 8 years was encouraging a number of national and multinational companies to invest in Punjab. The ingredients that make Punjab the best state for investment include pro business climate, best infrastructure, best talent supply chain, investor friendly policies, labour reforms enabling women employees to work during night shift, online approvals and governance reforms that abolished redtapism. Today, the agrarian Punjab has become Progressive Punjab and is marching towards higher orbit of economic development ensuring higher standards of living for its citizens, he added.
Mr. Majithia said that these awards were also stamp of approval on our claims that despite being only 2% of the total country area, Punjab was not only competing with large states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat but also leading the way in renewable energy capacity addition in the country. He said that this was the result of the best solar policy of the state, hassle free land acquisition and land lease policies, pro-business policies, incentives, infrastructure and power provision that in the third phase bidding for solar projects, Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) has received 18 bids with cumulative capacity 1650 MW against offered capacity of 500 MW.
Describing clear vision and leadership of Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal as the backend of all success stories of state, Mr. Majithia said that the stable policy environment for development of renewable energy, fiscal and financial incentives being provided by state under NRSE Policy-2012, time bound approvals and clearances being provided at a single source by Punjab Investment Bureau, bankable power purchase agreement for 25 years and A+ rating of PSPCL have created an investment friendly environment in the state.