Objectives
The State government, appreciating the significance of Renewable Energy and to work with more focus for exploring avenues for harnessing and utilizing optimum share of renewable energy sources available in West Bengal, took a landmark decision and created the Non-Conventional & Renewable Energy Sources Department by bifurcation of the erstwhile Power & NES (New Energy Sources) Department vide Home and Hill Affairs Department’s Notification No. 858-Home (Cons)/R2R (Cons)-08/2016 dated 15/11/2019. NRES Department has two implementing arms viz. West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency (WBREDA) and West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation Limited (WBGEDCL). WBREDA, a society registered under the West Bengal Societies Registration Act, 1961, is the State Nodal Agency for promotion and development of Renewable Energy Technologies in West Bengal. WBGEDCL, a company formed under the Companies Act, 1956 was set up with the objective of promoting investment in grid connected renewable energy projects and other green energy sources and to develop and execute renewable energy projects on a commercial basis.
The long-term and short-term objectives of the Department Policy are detailed below:
a) Long-term objectives:
- To contribute to India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) under the Paris Agreement for the Period 2021- 2030 to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 percent by 2030 from 2005 level; and to achieve about 40 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from Non-fossil fuel based energy resources by 2030 with the help of transfer of technology and low cost international finance.
- Deployment of new and renewable energy for supplementing the energy requirements of the state and also to increase its share in total mix of grid power in general.
- Secure energy security by reducing dependency of fossil fuels which will address the challenges of climate change and also to help in reducing the carbon footprint.
- Adopting / evolving RE technologies and facilitating commercial development of the same e.g. wind, solar, tidal, geothermal etc.
b) Short-term objectives:
- Framing the basic building blocks to develop necessary regulatory, administrative, infrastructural and institutional mechanisms.
- To build clarity regarding regulatory, administrative, infrastructural and institutional mechanisms for stakeholders in the interest of and for facilitating the growth of the sector.
- Charting an energy-mix and framing a timeline in sync with RPOs;
- Identifying technology-wise thrust areas and strategies for RE in the State;
- Developing a roadmap for each of the RE technologies;
- Developing future RE technologies via pilot projects to be scaled up subsequently, and
- Facilitating and sustaining private sector investment in the development of renewable energy and
- Encourage the setting up of RE resources for access by targeted communities especially for development and enhancement of traditional livelihoods with an equitable approach.
The Department is tasked with drawing up policies and projects for development, generation and utilization of renewable energy, including rural electrification through renewable sources. The broad sectors in which the Department operates, are :
- Solar Photovoltaic Systems
- Solar Thermal Systems
- Wind pumping and wind electricity generating systems
- Energy from waste materials
- Biomass Programmes including Biogas activities
- Integrated Rural Energy Programme [for Non Conventional and Renewable sources]
- Other sources of renewable energy
There are two implementing agencies working under the administrative control of this Department – the West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency and he West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation Limited.
