Himachal chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Tuesday that the government would amend the energy policy to make the state self-reliant and a targed to generate 500MW solar energy by December next year had been set.
Sukhu informed the assembly that in winter, Himachal buys electricity from neighbouring states at high rates, reducing which would help the government save ₹1,000 crore annually. He was speaking in the discussion on a motion moved by Congress member Chaitanya Sharma about the renewable energy approach for secure future of Himachal.
The chief minister said that the government had set a target of making Himachal a "green state" by 2026 and in the next four months, state''s largest solar power plant of 32MW would be established in Pekhuwala in Una district.
Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of ignoring the state''s interests, he said that the previous BJP government in Himachal gave Luhri and and Dhaulasidh hydropower projects to Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam on very easy terms and the state government would either take back the projects or revise the terms and condition to secure the interests of Himachal.
The BJP leaders expressed their ire when the chief minister blamed the Central government of obstructing the implementation of "water cess on hydropower projects".
Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur said the Union government had sent the letter to all the states concerned and pointed out that water cess was not being charged from central sector hydropower generating utilities by Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand governments.
Initiating the discussion, Chetanya Sharma said the chief minister has taken steps to implement the viewpoint on making Himachal Pradesh a green state by 2026 and the e-taxis start-up scheme for the youth has been implemented which proves he believes in action.
Independent MLA Hoshiyar Singh suggested that geothermal, biogas and wind energy projects should be encouraged. BJP leader Anil Sharma said that setting up of solar energy projects on barren lands should be encouraged to increase energy generation and employment.
Cabinet minister Rajesh Dharmani stressed on making the state self-sufficient in energy so that there was no need to purchase power from other states. BJP leader Trilok Jamwal said that the levy of water cess on projects for which memorandums of understanding had been signed long ago was wrong and cautioned that it would create an environment of uncertainty, which would affect investment in the state.
BJP protests over Cong''s unfulfilled poll guarantees
Ahead of proceeding of the assembly, legislators of Bharatiya Janata Party, the main opposition in the state, staged a protest over Congress'' unfulfilled poll guarantees. The legislators wore posters around their neck and raised slogans, reminding the Congress about their promises.
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The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Government discussions on the seventh Basic Energy Plan, which will chart the course of the nation''s energy policy for the coming years, are in the final stages.
While prioritizing energy conservation and the expansion of renewable energy sources to achieve a decarbonized society, the program needs to stick to the mantra of "reducing dependence on nuclear power," a policy imperative based on the triple meltdown at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in 2011.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said discussions in its advisory council on this matter led to a "common understanding" that "future electricity demand is likely to increase" and that an "expansion of both renewable energy and nuclear power is necessary."
This suggests the ministry is seeking to incorporate the previous Kishida administration''s 2022 policy decision to seek "maximum utilization" of nuclear power generation into the new plan.
However, even if nuclear power is used transitionally, expanding it on the same scale as renewable energy, which has been designated as the future main power source, is unrealistic. This could serve as a disincentive for investment in renewable energy.
Pro-nuclear advocates dominate the METI panel, and there are growing calls to remove the policy principle of "reducing dependence on nuclear power generation as much as possible," which was included in the fourth to sixth plans compiled after the nuclear accident.
Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), the nation''s powerful business lobby, and the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan share this view. The opposition Democratic Party for the People has even requested Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to "clearly state new construction and expansion" of nuclear plants in the new plan.
However, we must not forget the origin of this policy. The fourth plan, released in 2014, declared: "The energy strategy envisioned before the Great East Japan Earthquake is to be reviewed from scratch, and dependence on nuclear power is to be reduced as much as possible. It goes without saying that this is the starting point for rebuilding the nation''s energy policy."
This proclamation was crafted through meticulous deliberations. It was based on "deep remorse" for failing to prevent the disastrous consequences of the severe nuclear accident, albeit recognizing that nuclear power is an important source of energy to ensure a stable energy supply.
The fundamental risks and complicated problems associated with nuclear power generation have remained unchanged since then.
Formidable challenges related to decommissioning the crippled reactors at the Fukushima plant and the issue of how to deal with highly radioactive "nuclear waste" are far from resolved. Russia''s invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the risk of nuclear power plants becoming military targets.
The Noto Peninsula earthquake on Jan. 1 further underscored the difficulty of evacuation in the event of a complex disaster.
The economic efficiency of harnessing atomic energy, once considered an advantage, is now in doubt due to rising costs for safety measures.
It should also be acknowledged that achieving the current target of raising the share of nuclear power in the total energy mix to 20-22 percent by 2030 is a tall order.
Solar and wind power generation are rapidly expanding worldwide. Japan should follow the global trend and work to make renewable energy the primary power source in ways that ensure harmonious coexistence with local communities.
The new Basic Energy Plan must outline a path to make up for years of delayed progress toward a clean energy future.
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