Shillong, Feb 4: Power Minister A.T. Mondal on Tuesday said that the government is looking for private investment to boost power generation in the state.
“We have notified a new power policy, encouraging private producers to invest. Demand is rising, and we must ensure affordable, locally generated energy,” said Mondal.
The state has already assigned a hydel power project to NEEPCO, but land disputes are delaying progress. “The 85 MW project, likely called ‘Wah Umiam,’ falls between Shella and Mawsynram constituencies. We hope to resolve land issues soon,” he informed.
“The state gets 12% free power and 1% for local area development. With electricity demand growing at 11% annually, we must secure local generation instead of relying on costly imports,” he explained.
When asked about private sector investment, he informed that several MoUs are pending, and some companies are actively working on them.
Private firms will not be obligated to sell power to the state. “For larger projects, we insist on a ‘right of refusal’ clause, meaning the state is not bound to purchase power. All details are in our power policy, available on our website,” he informed.
With rising demand, Meghalaya is aggressively pushing for power sector investments to avoid future shortages and ensure energy security.
