The government has decided to declare the capital Panaji a "Solar City" to produce 88 MW of solar energy within the next two years. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant urged the public to install solar panels on their roofs with a 40% subsidy from the central government and 10% from the state. He also said that casinos and other commercial establishments could install solar panels anywhere else, and the electricity generated would be sent to the grid. He reiterated that it is important for the public to support the decision so that Panaji can go 100% solar.
According to Global Energy Monitor (GEM), East Asia will remain the largest wind power producing region as project development plans will expand current installed wind power capacity by 65% by the end of 2030. Wind energy, the world's largest and fastest-growing renewable energy source, is expanding at record rates in every major economy as part of efforts to transition the global energy system away from fossil fuels and reduce harmful emissions. China will remain the largest producer of wind power and the largest developer of wind power installations, but South Korea, Japan and Taiwan will all outpace China in terms of growth rates through 2030. Europe will be the second largest developer of wind power over the remainder of the decade, increasing installed capacity 68% below current levels. Installed wind power capacity in the Americas, Europe, South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East will increase significantly, with the United States set to become the second largest wind power producer by 2030.
Brazil will more than triple its current capacity and jump to third place in the global ranking, while Canada and Mexico are also expected to see significant growth. India's installed wind power capacity will increase by 25%, but its world ranking will slip from 4th to 7th. The global target for wind power to account for more than 20% of global electricity generation by 2030 is on track.
India will add 2.5 gigawatts (GW) of solar open access in 2022, a 92% increase compared to the 1.3 GW installed in 2021. Mercom Research's report titled "Mercom India Solar Open Access Market Report Q4 and Annual 2022" states that installations due to various organizations and developers under Basic Duty (BCD) and Approved Models and Manufacturers List (ALMM) regulations There is a rush to complete projects before the enactment, thus reaching an all-time high in 2022. The top five states contributed over 96% of all open access installations in Q4 2022, with Karnataka accounting for over 32% of new capacity additions. Karnataka maintains its lead with a cumulative installed solar open access capacity of 7.7 GW by December 2022, accounting for nearly 36% of cumulative capacity. Maharashtra followed with 12% of the total installations.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Tuesday that renewable energy currently accounts for 62% of the country's installed power capacity and is a good choice for the development of clean and green energy. Renewable energy refers to energy sources such as hydropower, solar energy and biomass, most of which come from hydroelectric dams. The Electricity Authority of Cambodia (EAC) reported that Cambodia's energy supply will rise to 4,495 MW in 2022, up 12.6% from 3,990 MW a year ago, with 98.27% of the country's 14,168 villages already connected to electricity.
The Gujarat government informed the Legislative Assembly on Monday that more than 230,000 household consumers have signed up for the Surya Gujarat Solar Roofs scheme in the past two years. Launched in August 2019, the scheme aims to promote the installation of large-scale rooftop solar systems on the rooftops of private homes. Ahmedabad led the way with 34,794 registered households followed by Vadodara with 33,918, Surat with 30,918 and Rajkot with 24,118. The government provides subsidies of 40% for up to 3kW of electricity and 20% for up to 10kW of electricity, aiming to cover 800,000 residential consumers by 2022. As of June 2020, Gujarat Energy Development Corporation and other electricity distribution companies have received more than 128,000 applications for solar roofs under the scheme through an online portal.
Polish lawmakers have approved a new law easing rules for the installation of onshore wind turbines, a move urged by the European Union. The law allows turbines to be built no closer than 700 meters (765 yards) from houses, less restrictive than previous rules that required turbines to be 10 times taller. The vote was 231 to 209, with two abstentions. The new law gives local residents more say over where the turbines are located and lets them share in the energy generated, but critics say the liberalization is not enough and still limits the number of potential locations and the amount of electricity that can be drawn from the wind. The government has been supporting solar with subsidized solar panels for households and plans to build a major offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea. Brussels wants Warsaw to hit some milestones before disbursing billions of euros in pandemic recovery funds, including improving Poland's rule of law record and easing rules for disciplinary judges.