Karnataka Renewable Energy Development is all set to invite bids soon for the construction of grid-connected solar power projects.

Bids will be invited for the construction of 450 - 500 MW of grid-connected solar power projects. This is part of a larger target of 1,000 MW of grid-connected renewable energy generation within the next 15 months.

As the renewable energy producers were facing land acquisition problems due to restrictions in the state, the state government had eased these restrictions for solar power producers through modification of a policy for land purchase. Now, under section 109, any amount of land can be acquired for solar power projects. Conversion of land will be through the ‘deemed conversion’ route and any land approved for the same will be deemed to have been converted from agricultural use.

The Karnataka government has also urged farmers to use vacant land in their plots to install their own mini solar generation projects. For this purpose, it has kept around 300 MW of projects to be allotted to farmers in the one - three MW range. Also, farmers who want to keep their land but put it to use, can give it to the government who will then lease it to solar generation companies and give the farmers rent for the same.