MP Saleem proposes MVR 1 million per council for renewable energy

MP for Hoarafushi constituency, and Chair of the Committee on Environment and Climate Change, Ahmed Saleem has proposed for MVR one million to be allocated to each island council from the budget for the development of renewable energy.

While speaking during the final hearing of the motion to reduce the cost of electricity, MP Saleem declared that the administration has devoted over MVR 200 million for renewable energy in the upcoming 2020 state budget.

The 2020 state budget has granted a total of MVR 278 million for projects related to sustainable and renewable energy.

According to Saleem, the cost of electricity cannot be reduced as per the current model for renewable energy projects. Therefore, Saleem proposed to allocate an extra MVR one million to the budget of each island council in order to bring the necessary changes to the current model.

Saleem asserted that the amendment is necessary for the administration to achieve its pledge to reduce the cost of electricity.

In the past, while speaking for a motion calling for bringing the world's attention to the global climate crisis, Saleem stated that assigning MVR 199 million from the budget for oil subsidies to 143 islands would substantially lower the cost of electricity. This would include installing a 3kW solar panel on each house.

Generating electricity using renewable energy sources instead of depending on non-renewable energy sources such as oil is a goal set by the current administration. Likewise, solar panels of 2.3 MegaWatts and 4.3MegaWatts have been installed in 14 islands of Haa Alif atoll and 26 islands of Shaviyani and Noonu atoll, respectively, and connected to a grid during the past year.

The motion to lower the cost of electricity was approved by the parliament and forwarded for review to the Committee on Environment and Climate Change on Tuesday.