Maharashtra’s large-scale solar power programme for farmers, supplying 16,000 MW, was showcased at Davos and may now be studied globally as a clean energy model.
File image: Devendra Fadnavis | IANS
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said the state’s large-scale solar power programme for farmers is now being looked at as a global case study by the International Solar Alliance.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Fadnavis said Maharashtra’s model of supplying electricity to farmers entirely through solar power had drawn interest from international leaders.
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The state currently provides 16,000 MW of electricity to farmers using what the Chief Minister described as Asia’s largest distributed solar network.
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Fadnavis said the discussions came up during a session on energy transition attended by global and Indian ministers.
“Today, there was a session focused on energy transition, particularly the International Solar Alliance. Ministers from Zimbabwe and our Union ministers participated, engaging in extensive discussions on energy transition. During the session, we highlighted how Maharashtra’s solarisation efforts exemplify the Maharashtra model. We have created Asia’s largest distributed solar infrastructure, supplying 16,000 MW of electricity to farmers. We are taking it all through solar.”
The Chief Minister also pointed to Maharashtra’s dominant role in solar pump installations under the Centre’s flagship scheme.
“All the solar pumps installed in the country, 60 per cent are in Maharashtra alone. That is why Maharashtra is at number 1 in the Prime Minister’s Kusum scheme.”
He added that the state has already completed 4,000 MW of rooftop solar projects and has planned its future energy needs around clean power.
“Along with this, we have also completed 4000 MW of rooftop solar work, and the way we have prepared the resource adequacy plan, in 2030, 52 per cent of the electricity in Maharashtra will come from non-conventional sources.”
According to Fadnavis, the response at Davos was encouraging.
“When I showcased all this, people appreciated it a lot, and since it is the International Solar Alliance, they have also talked about sending it to the same countries as a case study, so it is a matter of great pride for Maharashtra and the country.”
A day earlier, the Chief Minister said Maharashtra would finish its major solar project for agricultural power supply by the end of this year.
The state has created a separate company to manage electricity supply for farmers through a decentralised solar system.
“We created a new company to supply power to farmers, and now around 16 GW of power will be generated through solar, through this distributed system, and we will complete this project by the end of this year.”
Fadnavis also credited the shift to solar energy to national leadership.
“Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and Union Minister for Renewable Energy, Maharashtra has transformed the entire energy landscape in just less than a decade’s time. With the vision of PM Modi, we decided to entirely shift the agriculture power load on solar, and we started Asia’s biggest decentralised solarisation plan whereby the agriculture feeder was separately solarised.”
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