This MSEDCL initiative is a key step in India's shift to renewable energy, boosting sustainability and lowering costs for farmers
The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) is planning to meet complete demand for electricity to power agricultural pumps in the state through solar power by 2026. This transition to solar energy may reduce the Rs 13,500-crore cross-subsidy currently shouldered by industrial consumers, making industrial tariffs in Maharashtra competitive with those in Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, reported HT.
Lokesh Chandra, Managing Director of India’s largest power distribution company, told HT that contracts have been awarded to various companies under the Mukhyamantri Saur Krishi Vahini Yojana (MSKVY 2.0), with a capacity of 16,000 MW to achieve complete transition.
The move rings a similar tone to initiatives such as Rajasthan’s solar pump scheme, which has already benefitted 29,000 farmers in the last one year alone. According to Business Standard, the state government in Rajasthan has installed over 131,000 solar pumps in the past five years to provide clean energy to farmers.
This push for solar power aligns with India’s broader renewable energy goals. On February 7, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy announced that India has achieved the historic milestone of 100 GW solar capacity underlining government's commitment to a cleaner, greener future.
"India is the 4th largest country after China, US, and Germany to cross the 100 GW milestone. While we are trailing Germany by a small margin, we will soon be the 3rd largest solar market in the world. It is an inspiration to several countries (both developed and developing), especially the Global South, to learn and understand how to enable accelerated energy transition," Subrahmanyam Pulipaka, the CEO of National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI), told ET.
While addressing the Regional Review Meeting on Renewable Energy of in Jaipur on January 21, Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi said that India’s Renewable Energy Sector is well-positioned to achieve its renewable energy target of 500 GW by 2030. He added that there is a need for renewable energy to play a more significant role in India’s energy mix as the country’s power demand is expected to double by 2032.