Modi govt's solar plan faces three major obstacles

13 May 2024 CW Team

Lakshmi Narayan recounted how he had been among the first to embrace solar energy back in 2020. He recalled the decision to install solar panels on his roof in Bhopal, a city in India, driven by his wish to contribute to the shift away from fossil fuels toward cleaner energy sources.

Expressing his perspective, Narayan, now 60 years old, explained, "I recognized the significance of renewable energy and felt it should be adopted universally." He mentioned how his initiative had inspired others in the capital of Madhya Pradesh, prompting them to follow suit.

A new government initiative, revealed ahead of the nationwide elections in April, aimed to further promote the adoption of solar energy. This initiative, introduced in February, allocated Rs 75 billion in subsidies to facilitate the installation of grid-connected rooftop solar systems on approximately 10 million residences. This would enable consumers to lower their electricity expenses during sunny periods and even sell surplus power to the grid for additional income.

The goal of this program was to generate 30 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity in households, resulting in a reduction of 720 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions over the 25-year lifespan of the rooftop systems.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined his aspirations during a televised interview in April, expressing, "I have three objectives: to ensure every household's electricity bill becomes zero, to enable the sale of excess electricity for profit, and to foster self-sufficiency in India's energy sector as we transition to the era of electric vehicles."

To streamline the process, previously intricate and fragmented, the government had introduced a single online platform to facilitate applications and installations. Subsidies were now directly deposited into individuals' bank accounts, simplifying the entire procedure.

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