During a high-level meeting focused on Sustainable Transport Strategy, Sawant instructed the Department of New and Renewable Energy to finalize the subsidy program and develop a policy for transitioning industrial facilities to cleaner energy sources.
An official statement revealed that the chief minister directed the department to create a policy aimed at the gradual replacement of diesel generator (DG) sets in industrial and commercial sectors.
The envisioned policy will promote the adoption of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), solar photovoltaic systems coupled with battery storage, gas-based systems wherever applicable, and other sustainable energy technologies.
Sawant emphasized that the policy must feature a well-defined implementation roadmap, financial incentives, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory measures to assist a gradual shift to cleaner energy sources.
He instructed the department to develop a comprehensive scheme that provides up to a 50% subsidy on electric vehicles for current licensed motorcycle pilots and autorickshaw operators to motivate their transition from petrol-powered vehicles.
In alignment with the state’s efforts towards electric mobility, Sawant mentioned that the Department of New and Renewable Energy will set up 70 new electric vehicle charging stations throughout Goa under the Centre’s ‘PM E-Drive Scheme’.
Furthermore, he announced that the state-run Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC) will retrofit its diesel-powered buses, which are roughly 10 years old, with compressed natural gas (CNG) engines to minimize emissions.
