Legislative Chamber submits parliamentary inquiry to Minister of Energy on renewable energy development

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — At its regular plenary session, the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis considered the issue of submitting a parliamentary inquiry to Minister of Energy Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov regarding measures to expand work in the field of renewable energy, including the installation of solar panels.

Deputies noted that in recent years the country has been carrying out large-scale efforts to introduce renewable energy sources and energy-saving technologies. These measures contribute to strengthening environmental sustainability and reducing the negative impact on the climate. The Presidential Decree of 16 February 2023 “On Measures to Accelerate the Introduction of Renewable Energy Sources and Energy-Saving Technologies in 2023” became a key regulatory document for the widespread application of renewable energy in the social sphere, housing and utilities, and various sectors of the economy.

According to the “Yashil Energiya” information system, solar panels with a total capacity of 1,748 MW have been installed at 133,786 sites across the country. Specifically, panels with a capacity of 385 MW were installed at 20,416 facilities in the social sphere and government institutions, 948 MW at 30,713 business facilities, 27.5 MW at 2,155 apartment buildings, and 388 MW at 80,502 private households.

At the same time, certain issues requiring resolution were identified: solar panels with a capacity of 29 MW were not installed on time at 2,139 sites, and panels with a capacity of 6.1 MW are non-operational at 281 sites.

Although the country currently produces solar panels with an annual capacity of 770 MW at seven enterprises and more than 200,000 solar water-heating collectors at five enterprises, the production of wind turbines has not yet been established. In addition, no mechanism has been created for the recycling and disposal of panels whose service life has expired or which are no longer functional.

In this regard, the session decided to submit a parliamentary inquiry to the Minister of Energy, requesting substantiated clarifications on the ongoing work to expand the use of renewable energy sources, the organization of domestic production of relevant equipment, as well as measures to prevent the environmental impact of decommissioned solar panels.