New Delhi, October 09, 2023. In separate developments, both Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh have unveiled ambitious plans to boost their renewable energy sectors, signalling a significant shift towards cleaner and sustainable power sources.
Gujarat's Renewable Energy Policy, 2023:
Gujarat's Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel recently introduced the Gujarat Renewable Energy Policy, 2023, aimed at promoting renewable energy generation projects, particularly focused on wind, solar, and hybrid technologies. The policy is designed to attract investments totalling Rs 5 lakh crore.
Key highlights of the policy include:
- Removal of Capacity Restriction: The policy eliminates the capacity restriction for setting up renewable energy projects based on consumers' contracted demand. Previously limited to fulfilling only 50% of energy requirements, firms can now run their entire operations on renewable energy.
- Surplus Energy Utilization: Surplus renewable energy generated by industrial consumers can now be carried forward and utilized for an additional 30 days.
- Power Export: The new policy allows for the export of power through the inter-state transmission system (ISTS).
- Diverse Project Spectrum: The policy encompasses a wide range of projects, including ground-mounted solar, rooftop solar, floating solar, canal-top solar, wind, rooftop wind, and wind-solar hybrid ventures. It also permits the conversion of standalone wind or solar power plants into hybrid projects.
- Nodal Authority: The Gujarat Energy Development Agency will serve as the nodal authority for project registration, validation, commissioning certificates, and progress reports.
- Renewable Energy Goals: Gujarat aims to achieve 50% of its total power generation through renewable energy by 2030.
Energy and Finance Minister Kanu Desai, during the policy unveiling, expressed confidence that Gujarat could achieve net-zero emissions through renewable energy by 2050.
Renewable Energy in Uttar Pradesh:
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh is set to witness the implementation of renewable energy projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore in the near future, according to Mahesh Gupta, the state's Additional Chief Secretary for Renewable Energy. He revealed that the state had received investment proposals totaling around Rs 7.50 lakh crore during the UP Global Investors Summit earlier this year.
"While multi-pronged efforts are being made to achieve this target, Uttar Pradesh is also contributing to it. Uttar Pradesh launched its biofuel and solar energy policy in November 2022. In the Global Investors Summit this year, we received investment proposals worth Rs 7.50 lakh crore in the renewable energy sector. It's our earnest effort to execute these proposals on the ground and we are working towards it,” said Mahesh Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary for Renewable Energy, Uttar Pradesh.
Key sectors within Uttar Pradesh's renewable energy focus include biofuel and solar energy projects. The state government is actively promoting green energy as part of its commitment to sustainability and reducing carbon emissions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's target of achieving net-zero carbon emissions for India by 2070 underscores the importance of renewable energy as a crucial sector in the country's future energy landscape.Both Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh's efforts align with India's broader push toward renewable energy and sustainable development.
