Uttar Pradesh govt nods solar plant set up at Rs 7,500 cr

Under the new solar energy policy, the Uttar Pradesh government approved a proposal for establishing solar power plants for Rs 7,500 crore by 2022 to generate 1,535 MW solar energy. The 24 new plants had currently enhanced solar power production to 1,140 MW in UP. Uttar Pradesh is all set to become a centre of solar energy generation in India, with villages and streets lit up with solar lamps. Brajesh Pathak, Minister for Non-conventional Energy, said that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took various initiatives in the past four years, including approving a comprehensive solar power policy and starting 24 new solar power plants having 420 MW capacity. Besides, he said that the government had set up a rural electrification network in UP. The Minister said that with the efforts of the UP government, solar rooftops of 225 MW capacity have been set up while roads and markets in the countryside are lit up with solar street lights. Under the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Solar Street Light Scheme, solar street lights have been set up in 25,569 markets. Apart from this, the establishment of 13,791 solar street lights in chosen revenue villages under Mukhyamantri Samagra Gram Vikas Yojana is underway. Additionally, 19,579 solar pumps have been established to support farmers in the irrigation of their farms. The establishment of 1,80,000 solar power units in villages has already modified the image of villages where a power outage has become a rare thing. It stands in sharp opposition to the situation during past governments when people used to desire electricity for four hours. The state government has overcome the power crisis in the state through its push on solar energy. As a result of the government's initiative, the Energy Conservation Building Code 2018 has come into effect to conserve power in commercial buildings. The government invited private investment of Rs 2,492 crore under Bio-Energy Enterprise Promotion Policy, which assisted in installing solar power units of 180 MW for Rs 720 crore, Pathak said. Additionally, for the first time, during the Yogi government, 3,400 solar RO water plants were established in primary schools to make safe drinking water available to children at schools, he said. Image Source Also read: SECI invites bids for 100 MW solar plant in Chhattisgarh Also read: Gujarat's RE power capacity to be around 61,466 MW by 2030