UPNEDA and TNC India partner to boost renewable energy in Uttar Pradesh

The Uttar Pradesh New & Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Lucknow to pursue targeted interventions aimed at speeding utility-scale solar and wind energy development throughout the state. TNC India will adopt a SiteRight tool developed specifically for Uttar Pradesh in order to satisfy India's renewable energy goals while reducing negative environmental effects. The state has committed to achieving 14,000 MW of utility-scale solar projects by 2027, and identifying land parcels for these utility-scale solar projects considering social and environmental factors is critical to achieving renewable energy targets of the state in a time-bound manner, said Anupam Shukla, Director UPNEDA and Special Secretary, Energy Department, Govt of Uttar Pradesh. The main objective of this collaboration, he continued, is to promote the development of renewable energy projects throughout Uttar Pradesh in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. This includes assessing potential opportunities for floating solar and creating science-based sustainable business models for doing so. The collaboration between TNC and UPNEDA will help prioritize lower impact land parcels for renewable energy development projects and would give the necessary impetus to meeting India's national renewable energy targets, said Annapurna Vancheswaran, Managing Director, TNC India. She continued by saying that this cooperation strives to guarantee that renewable energy projects are developed and carried out in a manner that lessens their environmental impact while also satisfying the region's energy requirements.