Energy and Natural Resources Ministry to announce NEM scheme soon

KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources ( KETSA) will make an official announcement on the Net Energy Metering (NEM) scheme soon, its minister Datuk Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said.

Shamsul gave a briefing on the matter when winding up the debate on 2021 Supply Bill at the committee stage for the ministry.

The debate on the bill, saw several members of Parliament raising the NEM 3.0 issue, among them Lukanisman Awang Sauni (GPS-Sibuti) and Datuk Ahmad Nazlan Idris (BN-Jerantut), who wanted the government to state the measures taken to prepare a new NEM 3.0 programme as well as whether a specific NEM quota would be allocated for each state.

The NEM scheme is a solar photovoltaic (PV) initiative by the ministry to encourage Malaysia’s renewable energy uptake.

During the debate, Yeo Bee Yin (PH-Bakri) said the government needs to draft a new plan for the new NEM quota for the next five years to allow solar industry players to be prepared.

“Before the renewal, only 16 megawatts (MW) of the quota was taken up by solar industry players, (but) after (NEM) policy renewal, we saw it increased 20 folds and the NEM quota has almost depleted.

“I agree with Jerantut (Ahmad Nazlan) and Sibuti (Lukanisman) that the government give a new quota to (help) the growth of the solar industry.

“Rooftop solar provides many job opportunities for engineers and electricians,” she said.

The Supply Bill 2021 for the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources was passed at the committee stage without going through divisional voting, after it was debated by four government MPs and four from the opposition bloc.

Earlier, the Supply Bill 2021 for the Rural Development Ministry was passed at the committee level with a majority vote after being debated by eight MPs, four from the government bloc, three opposition and one independent MP.

The Dewan Rakyat sitting continues today. — Bernama