UP’s green agenda offers a template for India

Amid global turmoil and resultant impacts on global energy networks, India has firmly stood on its climate and clean energy agenda, towards its long-term goal of Viksit Bharat 2047. Its revised climate commitments, in the wake of West Asia crises, demonstrate its commitment on energy transition, power sector reform and protection of natural systems. Aligned closely with the national vision is Uttar Pradesh which is integrating sustainability into its development narrative with increasing focus on solar, compressed biogas, green hydrogen and climate adaptation measures.

In the last nine years, installed solar capacity has surged by 1,150 per cent, from 400 MW in 2017 to over 5,000 MW by March 2026 underpinning one of the most striking accelerations of renewable energy at the sub-national level. This transformation is not merely about megawatts. It is about accessibility, affordability, and reliability in a state long afflicted by power deficits, regional energy discrepancies and exclusion. Agreements with foreign investors signal maturing of state’s green agenda, supported by improved law and order and massive infrastructure push. Since 2017, the Yogi Adityanath government has made structural power transformation one of its top priorities. The state, historically reliant on thermal and hydropower, is now moving decisively toward solar and other renewables, laying robust foundations for its $1 trillion economy goal. This shift reflects a broader change in governance mindset where investors, entrepreneurs, and households are treated not merely as taxpayers or revenue generators but as partners in growth. The 2022 Solar Policy sets an overarching framework setting an ambitious target of 22,000 MW by 2027, backed by subsidies, streamlined processes and a push for self-reliance in solar equipment and raw materials. Additionally, the state is actively implementing central schemes such as PM Surya Ghar with Uttar Pradesh leading in rooftop solar capacity, over 1,524 MW generating nearly 7 million units of green energy daily and PM KUSUM for solar powered water pumps. Bundelkhand’s green energy corridor and multiple solar parks reflect forward-looking infrastructure planning. image.pngCompressed biogas (CBG) is emerging as a credible alternative to natural gas, and Uttar Pradesh being an agricultural state and producing sizable agricultural residue annually has actively seized the opportunity. The 2022 Biogas Policy eases land access and plant feasibility, while offering capex subsidies to developers, with the ambitious target of one bioenergy plant in each tehsil, directly benefiting farmers and communities. At scale, CBG could cut India’s dependence on imported natural gas which is now at 50 per cent, while delivering environmental and economic gains. More recently, green hydrogen production in Gorakhpur reflects the state’s forward‑looking vision, exploring applications from industry to cooking fuel. In order to expand its renewable ecosystem, the state aims to establish deeper synergies with REC discoms, modernize the grid, and regularise transmission network and vendor integration, informed by infrastructure including highways, expressways, airports and logistics centres across the state. Uttar Pradesh is also pioneering local climate action to enhance resilience through climate-smart gram panchayats and over 40 district climate action plans are grounded in scientific assessments. Under Amrit Sarovar, the state leads in restoring water bodies by linking conservation with employment schemes and rural livelihoods. This has raised ground water levels while adding recreation value. Similarly, Jal Jeevan Mission scales rainwater harvesting, while drip and sprinkler technologies are transforming water-stressed regions such as Bundelkhand. Uttar Pradesh’s energy story is not just about solar panels or transmission reform. At its core lie humans and inclusivity and it aims to deliver comfort, dignity and livelihoods alongside clean energy to a population long deprived of even basic needs. The benefits of rooftop solar are not limited to subsidies. It has slashed electricity bills by up to 90 per cent, drastically saving money while ensuring reliable power supply. More than 60,000 jobs have emerged across manufacturing, logistics, and technical services while solar pumps have benefitted over 93,000 farmers, towards sustainable agriculture. Even forest communities that had faced exclusion are being provided solar PV, underscoring the leadership’s sincerity of purpose. The state has positioned women and youth as key drivers of this transition. Initiatives like DEWEE empower women-led enterprises provide clean cooking fuels and reduce drudgery. Capacity-building programmes aim to train 30,000 youth as Surya Mitras and women as Solar Didis to work as technicians, managers, and operators, and capacity builders. Women are also central to rural adaptation programmes such as the Jal Jeevan Mission, where they lead household resilience and community water management. A clearer understanding of the renewable sector and a drive for self-reliance have led the state leadership into global partnerships including with Japanese and Singaporean investors with a view to building a skilled workforce, and a renewable ecosystem. UP’s green drive is outward-looking yet inward-rooted, combining global investments and building local resilience towards self-reliance while positioning itself as a significant contributor in national climate and energy objectives.

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(The writers are, respectively, National Spokesperson, Bharatiya Janata Party, and a development and sustainability expert.)