The Meghalaya New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (MNREDA) was created on 18.9.1987 and Registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1983 with the objectives to identify, formulate and implement demonstration, experimental, promotional and extension of projects and programmes, related to Non-Conventional and Renewable Sources of Energy such sources includes Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Bio-Energy, Energy from waste Bio-Fuel, Energy, Small Micro Hydel power stations etc.
State Level :- To formulate and implement demonstration, experimental, promotional and extension project and programme related to New and Renewable Energy such as solar energy, wind energy, bio-energy, hybrid energy which is locally available. To co-ordinate and monitor the different energy supply programme in rural areas. To regularly assess through appropriate field studies, the performance of the projects implementation in the state through State Govt. and central Govt. To build and maintain data bank on demand supply and consumption pattern of the rural energy sector in the state. To supervise and carry over appropriate economic evaluation and assessment studies on different aspects of rural energy supply and demand and utilization in the state. To undertake other activities required for developing and successfully implementing the programme in the state.
The State Govt. through The Meghalaya New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (MNREDA) has identified three sources of Renewable Energy that can be exploited in the state and available in abundance out of many sources of renewable i.e. solar photovoltaic, wind energy and bio-energy. These three source shall be the priority of the State Govt. To exploit fully in large way to cover the un-electrified villages and to give a back-up support in which power supply exist.
The Meghalaya New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (MNREDA) has also already assessed the available potential from Renewable Energy sources i.e. wind, solar, biomass and small hydro with the estimated potential of 3692 MW with a break-up as indicated below :- Wind Potential - 90 MW (89 sites) Small Hydro Potential - 436 MW (105 sites) Biomass Power Potential - 165 MW (based on crop and forest residue). Solar Power Potential - 3000 MW based on 1% land availability.
(a) Rural Energy :- The Agency undertake the distribution of lighting system in rural areas through distribution of home lighting system, solar lantern, street lighting system and encouraging the use of LED solar lighting system. This programme is being continued so as to help those household in rural areas to have a clean, energy instead of using their kerosene lamp traditionally used by villagers is Meghalaya.
(b) Urban Energy :- To reduce the load consumption on the Grid, the Agency encourage the community or individual to avail the street lighting system and solar water heating system i.e. 100 LPD capacity which can be used for 6(six) persons in a family for bathing and washing, save about 3-4 units electricity on daily basis. Therefore, during the year 2016-2017 a target of installation of 100 Nos. of 100 LPD each total capacity of 10,000 Nos. of solar water heating system and the installation of the same is under completion.