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Installed Renewable Energy Capacity Crosses 176.49 GW, Informs RK Singh

The availability of low-cost financing for farmers and the state's share of funds is a major challenge in the implementation of the PM-KUSUM Scheme. In addition, the pace of implementation was significantly affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020-21 and 2021-22.

July 24, 2023. By Anurima Mondal

A total of 176.49 GW of renewable energy capacity has been installed in the country, informed power minister RK Singh.

The government has taken various steps to promote renewable energy such as Permitting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) up to 100 percent under the automatic route, Waiver of Inter State Transmission System (ISTS) charges for inter-state sale of solar and wind power for projects to be commissioned by June 30, 2025, Declaration of trajectory for Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) up to the year 2029-30, Setting up of Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Parks to provide land and transmission to RE developers for installation of RE projects at large scale, Schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM- KUSUM), Solar Rooftop Phase II, 12000 MW CPSU Scheme Phase II, etc.

The PM-KUSUM Scheme, which was launched in March 2019 and scaled up in November 2020 has the target of 10 GW capacity through installation of small solar power plants each of capacity up to 2 MW on the barren/fallow land of the farmers under component ‘A’.

Meanwhile, the scheme aims Installation of 20 lakh standalone off-grid solar water pumps under component ‘B’ and solarisation of 15 lakh existing grid-connected agriculture pumps including feeder level solarisation (FLS) under component ‘C’.

All three components combined aim to add 30.8 GW of additional solar capacity.

PM-KUSUM is a demand-driven scheme and therefore capacities are allocated under the three components of the scheme based on demand received from the states and union territories. Funds under the scheme are released based on the progress of installation reported by the State Implementing Agencies (SIA) and provisions of the scheme guidelines.

As on June 30, 2023, a total of 113.08 MW capacity has been installed under component ‘A’ and around 2.45 lakh pumps have been reported installed or solarised under component ‘B’ and component ‘C’ combined. This is equivalent to about 1323 MW of installed solar capacity. So far more than INR 1,646 crore has been released to SIAs.

The availability of low-cost financing for farmers and the state's share of funds is a major challenge in the implementation of the PM-KUSUM Scheme. In addition, the pace of implementation was significantly affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020-21 and 2021-22.

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Solar PV

RK Singh

PM-KUSUM

Renewable Purchase Obligation

Renewable power transmission

Solar in India

Clean energy transition