Solar’s highway robbery

With the new government came a spate of policy statements on promoting solar energy as a substitute for generating power based on imported fuels. The prime minister has made several statements on fast-tracking 10 gigawatts of solar energy, while our energy minister recently unveiled a policy to fast-track the development of 600 megawatts of solar projects that are very attractive to investors. While these aims and policy decisions are laudable, they are contrary to the ground realities currently facing the solar power industry in general, investors who have installed and are generating power, investors who have made the commitment and yet cannot get the equipment, rooftop generators, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) and State Bank financing.