Raj Bhavan during a voluntary power cut

Not content with switching off the lights at Raj Bhavan twice a day to sympathise with citizens bereft of power, Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi is now trying to generate his own electricity.

Acting on Gandhi’s initiative, the West Bengal Green Energy Corporation Limited has prepared a detailed plan for using renewable resources to meet a portion of Raj Bhavan’s power requirement. The project is expected to be implemented in six months.

“Raj Bhavan needs about 400 kilowatt (KW) of power daily. Currently, we have decided to supply one-fourth of the total demand with power generated from clean, renewable sources like solar photo-voltaic system. This will help in reducing pollution because coal will not be burnt for generating thermal power,” said S.P. Gonchowdhury, the managing director of the green energy corporation.

According to corporation officials, once the project is implemented, Raj Bhavan will not have to depend on outside sources for power supply in an emergency.

The power generated by renewable sources at Raj Bhavan, if not utilised on the premises, will feed the CESC grid.

The governor currently switches off power at Raj Bhavan twice a day to sympathise with the people in the state affected by power cuts.

Gandhi had installed a water heating system and streetlights that run on solar power at Raj Bhavan on an experimental basis.

“The 100 KW standalone power generation system is a step towards self-sufficiency. The real purpose of the governor is to reduce emission of carbon dioxide during thermal power generation,” said a Raj Bhavan official.

To generate 100 KW of thermal power, nearly 360 metric tonne of carbon dioxide is emitted. The gas is responsible for global warming.

The plan for renewable energy generation at Raj Bhavan has to take into account that it is a heritage building. Solar panels are being installed on the terrace, said an official.

“The project cost will be about Rs 2 crore. It will come from the fund allocated for maintenance and construction projects at Raj Bhavan. Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, too, had used solar energy to meet a part of the total demand,” added the official.