Currently, Gujarat has 19,414.87 MW of renewable energy installed capacity, which is one of the largest in the country. The information was presented in Rajya Sabha on July 19, 2022, by Minister of New and Renewable Energy and Power RK Singh while replying to a question raised by Member of Rajya Sabha Parimal Nathwani.
“Gujarat’s total renewable energy installed capacity of 19,414.87 MW includes 9419.42 MW of wind power, 7806.80 MW of solar power, 1990 MW of large hydropower, 109.26 MW of biopower and 89.39 MW from small hydropower’, according to the statement of RK Singh.
this response from Singh has come as an answer to the query of Nathwani who wanted to know about the total renewable energy installed capacity as well as generation in the country, and various schemes launched and new schemes proposed to be launched by Government to promote renewable energy in India.
Additionally, Singh also stated that the government has launched PM-KUSUM Scheme to promote small Grid Connected Solar Energy Power Plants, stand-alone solar-powered agricultural pumps and the solarisation of existing grid-connected agricultural pumps. The scheme is not only beneficial to the farmers but also States and DISCOMs, he said and added that States will save on subsidies being provided for electricity to agriculture consumers and DISCOMs get cheaper solar power at the tail end saving transmission and distribution losses.
According to the minister, under the Scheme for Development of solar parks and Ultra-mega Solar Power Projects with a target of setting up 40,000 MW capacity, the infrastructure such as land, roads, transmission system (internal and external), pooling stations, water feasibility is developed with all statutory clearances/ approvals. Thus, the solar project developers have plug and play benefit.
He further added that the “government has launched the Production Linked Incentive scheme ‘National Programme on High-Efficiency Solar PV Modules’ for achieving manufacturing capacity of Giga Watt (GW) scale in High-Efficiency Solar PV modules. The ministry has also launched Rooftop Solar Programme Phase II for grid-connected solar rooftop power plants. Under this Programme, the subsidy is provided for the residential sector and performance-linked incentives to DISCOMs for achieving capacity addition in rooftop solar above baseline”, he said.
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