Govt prioritising renewable energy to tackle power crisis: Energy minister

Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku today (5 November) said the government is giving top priority to renewable energy, especially solar power, to tackle the country’s ongoing power and energy crisis.

To cope with the energy crisis in the global market and the pressure of rising costs in power generation, the government is turning to solar power.

A target has been set to produce 5,000 megawatts of electricity from solar power before next summer. For this, the government will also buy electricity produced from solar panels installed on rooftops.

The minister said this while speaking as the chief guest at a view exchange meeting with government officials at the conference room of the Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner.

The minister said, in the last eight months, the government has provided a subsidy of Tk 46,000 crore to keep the power supply normal in the country. 

Due to the war, the power and energy crisis has become acute around the world. Solar power is one of the most effective ways to deal with the current situation in the country, he added.

If this target can be achieved, he said, it will be possible to deal with the power crisis as well as continue the development of the agricultural economy.

The minister encouraged everyone to install panels on rooftops to increase solar power production. He said, initiatives have to be taken at the individual level as well for renewable energy production. 

The government will buy electricity produced from the solar panels at the individual level at Tk10 per unit. All levels of government officials have been instructed to take necessary measures in this regard.

At the same time, it will be possible to reduce the government’s expenditure and subsidy pressure on power generation. Government officials and common people must come forward to implement this initiative, he urged.