Parliament Question: Setting up of Solar Plants

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 641 ANSWERED ON 23/07/2025 SETTING UP OF SOLAR PLANTS 641. SHRI ABHAY KUMAR SINHA Will the Minister of NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has taken/proposes to take any steps to set up more number of solar power plants in the country; (b) if so, the progress made so far under those schemes and their targeted capacity along with the details of budget allocation and expenditure during the last five years, year-wise; (c) If not, the reasons therefor; and (d) the details of installed capacity of grid-connected solar power projects in the State of Bihar so far, district-wise? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND POWER (SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK) (a) to (c) As on 30.06.2025, solar projects of 116.25 GW capacity have been installed in the country. The Government has already taken various progressive steps to set up solar power plants in the country, which are mentioned at Annexure-I. Government has also been implementing various schemes to promote solar energy in the country which are provided at Annexure-II. The details of budget allocation and expenditure during last 5 years under the above schemes is given at Annexure-III. (d) The details of installed capacity of grid-connected solar power projects in the State of Bihar so far, district-wise, is provided at Annexure-IV. *****ANNEXURE-I REFFERED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a), (b) & (c) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 641 FOR 23.07.2025 Steps Taken to increase Solar Energy Generation in the Country • Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued Bidding Trajectory for issuance of RE power procurement bids of 50 GW/annum by Renewable Energy Implementing Agencies (REIAs) [REIAs: Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI), NTPC Limited, NHPC Limited, SJVN Limited] from FY 2023-24 to FY 2027- 28. • Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has been permitted up to 100 percent under the automatic route. • Inter State Transmission System (ISTS) charges have been waived for inter-state sale of solar and wind power for projects to be commissioned by 30th June 2025, for Green Hydrogen Projects till December 2030 and for offshore wind projects till December 2032. • To boost RE consumption, Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) followed by Renewable Consumption Obligation (RCO) trajectory has been notified till 2029-30. The RCO which is applicable to all designated consumers under the Energy Conservation Act 2001 will attract penalties on non-compliance. RCO also includes specified quantum of consumption from Decentralized Renewable Energy sources. • Standard Bidding Guidelines for tariff based competitive bidding process for procurement of Power from Grid Connected Solar, Wind, Wind-Solar Hybrid and Firm & Dispatchable RE (FDRE) projects have been issued. • Laying of new transmission lines and creating new sub-station capacity has been funded under the Green Energy Corridor Scheme for evacuation of renewable power. • Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020 has been issued for net-metering up to five hundred Kilowatt or up to the electrical sanctioned load, whichever is lower. • Standard & Labelling (S&L) programs for Solar Photovoltaic modules and Grid- connected Solar Inverters have been launched. • To augment transmission infrastructure needed for steep RE trajectory, transmission plan has been prepared till 2030. • “The Electricity (Late Payment Surcharge and related matters) Rules (LPS rules) have been notified. • Electricity (Promoting Renewable Energy Through Green Energy Open Access) Rules, 2022, has been notified on 06th June 2022 with objective of ensuring access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable green energy for all. Green Energy Open Access is allowed to any consumer with contract demand of 100 kW or above through single or multiple single connection aggregating Hundred kW or more located in same electricity division of a distribution licensee.• Green Term Ahead Market (GTAM) has been launched to facilitate sale of Renewable Energy Power through exchanges. • Government has issued orders that power shall be dispatched against Letter of Credit (LC) or advance payment to ensure timely payment by distribution licensees to RE generators.ANNEXURE-II REFFERED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a), (b) & (c) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 641 FOR 23.07.2025 List of Operational Schemes to Promote Solar Energy Scheme/Programmes Incentives presently available as per the Scheme a) PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli 1. Under the PMSG: MBY, the CFA for installation of Rooftop Yojana Yojana for installing Solar in the Residential Sector is given below: rooftop solar and providing free CFA (Special Type of Residential electricity up to 300 units every S.No. CFA Category Segment month for One Crore States/UTs) households. Residential Sector (first 2 kWp of 1 Rooftop Solar (RTS) Rs.30,000/kWp Rs.33,000/kWp capacity or part thereof) Residential Sector (with additional RTS 2 Rs.18,000/kWp Rs.19,800/kWp capacity of 1 kWp or part thereof) Residential Sector (additional RTS No additional No additional 3 capacity beyond 3 CFA CFA kWp) Group Housing Societies/ Residential Welfare Associations (GHS/RWA) etc. for 4 Rs.18,000/kWp Rs.19,800/kWp common facilities including EV charging up to 500 kWp (@ 3 kWp per house) 2. The PMSG: MBY scheme includes the provision for incentive to DISCOMs to motivate and help them in activities such as create conducive regulatory and administrative mechanisms, achieve targets for implementation. The incentive is pegged at 5% of applicable benchmark cost for capacity achieved above 10% and less than 15% of installed base capacity; 10% of the applicable benchmark cost for capacity achieved beyond 15% of installed base capacity. 3. To push the deployment of residential rooftop solar system (RTS) and undertake local mobilization efforts, the PMSG: MBY scheme also includes the provision for incentive to the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs), at the rate of Rs.1000 for every installation of RTS in residential segment in the jurisdiction of ULB/PRI, for which CFA has been transferred to consumer. 4. Further, a fund of Rs. 800 crore has been provisioned for developing a Model Solar Village in each district of theScheme/Programmes Incentives presently available as per the Scheme country, with an assistance of Rs 1 crore per Model Solar Village under PMSG: MBY scheme. b) Central Public Sector Viability Gap Funding (VGF) support up to Rs. 55 lakhs per MW to the Undertaking (CPSU) Scheme CPSUs/Govt. Organizations entities selected through competitive Phase-II (Government Producer bidding process. Scheme) for setting up 12,000 MW grid-connected Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power Projects by Government Producers, using domestically manufactured solar PV cells and modules, with Viability Gap Funding (VGF) support, for self-use or use by Government/ Government entities, either directly or through Distribution Companies (DISCOMS). c) PLI Scheme ‘National The beneficiaries are eligible for Production Linked Incentive (PLI) on Programme on High Efficiency production and sale of solar PV modules. The quantum of PLI eligible Solar PV Modules’ for for disbursal depends upon: achieving manufacturing (i) quantum of sales of solar PV modules; capacity of Giga Watt (GW) (ii) performance parameters (efficiency and temperature scale in High Efficiency Solar coefficient of maximum power) of solar PV modules sold; PV modules (Tranche- I & II). and (iii) percentage of local value addition in modules sold. d) Solar Park Scheme with a (a) Up to Rs. 25 lakhs per Solar Park, for preparation of Detailed Project target of setting up 40,000 MW Report (DPR). capacity. Under the scheme, the (b) Rs. 20 lakh per MW or 30% of the project cost, whichever is lower, infrastructure such as land, for development of shared infrastructure of Solar Park. roads, power evacuation system water facilities are developed with all statutory clearances/approvals. Thus, the scheme helps expeditious development of utility-scale solar projects in the country. e) PM-KUSUM scheme for Component A: Setting up of 10,000 MW of Decentralized setting up decentralized solar or Ground/Stilt Mounted Solar Power Plants other renewable energy power Benefits available: Procurement Based Incentive (PBI) to the plants, installation of stand- DISCOMs @ 40 paise/kWh or Rs.6.60 lakhs/MW/year, whichever is alone solar agriculture pumps, lower, for buying solar power under this scheme. The PBI is given to and solarization of existing grid- the DISCOMs for a period of five years from the Commercial connected agriculture pumps, Operation Date of the plant. Therefore, the total PBI payable to including feeder-level DISCOMs is up to Rs. 33 Lakh per MW. solarization. The schemeScheme/Programmes Incentives presently available as per the Scheme benefits not only farmers but Component B: Installation of 14 Lakh Stand-alone Solar Pumps also the States and DISCOMs. Benefits available: CFA of 30% of the benchmark cost or the tender cost, whichever is lower, of the stand-alone solar agriculture pump is provided. However, in North Eastern States, Sikkim, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Lakshadweep and A&N Islands, CFA of 50% of the benchmark cost or the tender cost, whichever is lower, of the stand-alone solar pump is provided. Component B can also be implemented without State share of 30%. The Central Financial Assistance will continue to remain 30% and rest 70% will be borne by the farmer. Component C: Solarisation of 35 Lakh Grid Connected Agriculture Pumps including through Feeder Level Solarisation Benefits available: (a) Individual Pump Solarization (IPS): CFA of 30% of the benchmark cost or the tender cost, whichever is lower, of the solar PV component will be provided. However, in North Eastern States, Sikkim, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Lakshadweep and A&N Islands, CFA of 50% of the benchmark cost or the tender cost, whichever is lower, of the solar PV component is provided. Component C (IPS) can also be implemented without State share of 30%. The Central Financial Assistance will continue to remain 30% and rest 70% will be borne by the farmer. (b) Feeder Level Solarization (FLS): Agriculture feeders can be solarized by the State Government in CAPEX or RESCO mode with CFA of Rs. 1.05 Crore per MW as provided by MNRE. However, in North Eastern States, Sikkim, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarkhand, Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Island, CFA of Rs. 1.75 crore per MW is provided. f) New Solar Power Scheme (for Tribal and PVTG Components Central Share (100%) Habitations/Villages) under Provision of 0.3 kW Solar Rs. 50,000 per HH or as per Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi offgrid system for 1 lakh actual cost Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM Tribal and PVTG HHs JANMAN) and Dharti Aabha Solar street lighting and Rs. 1 lakh per MPC Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh provision of lighting in 1500 Abhiyan (DA JGUA) with a MPCs of PVTG areas provision for providing off-grid Solar Lighting where (under PM JANMAN electricity supply through grid component only) is not techno-economically Solarisation of 2000 public Rs 1 lakh per kW with feasible. institutions through off-grid maximum solar PV capacity solar systems (under DA of 20 kW per public JGUA component only) institutionANNEXURE-III REFFERED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a), (b) & (c) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 641 FOR 23.07.2025 Details Of Budget Allocation and Expenditure During Last 5 Years under schemes meant for Solar Energy Projects Financial Year Budget Allocation Expenditure done (In Rs. crore) (In Rs. crore) 2020-2021 1900.62 1480.08 2021-2022 3499.87 2732.86 2022-2023 4980.46 3881.27 2023-2024 6041.56 4834.07 2024-2025 15061.35 12237.59ANNEXURE-IV REFFERED TO IN REPLY TO PART (d) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 641 FOR 23.07.2025 District-wise Installed Capacity of Grid-Connected Solar Power Projects in Bihar Installed Capacity in Sl. No. Name of the District MW 1 Araria 1.33 2 Arwal 0.95 3 Aurangabad 21.64 4 Banka 81.05 5 Begusarai 1.99 6 Bhagalpur 2.57 7 Bhojpur 1.90 8 Buxar 0.82 9 Dharbhanga 3.79 10 Gaya 63.58 11 Gopalganj 0.97 12 Jamui 1.22 13 Jehanabad 1.59 14 Kaimur 1.60 15 Katihar 1.67 16 Khagaria 0.25 17 Kishanganj 2.89 18 Lakhisarai 1.32 19 Madhepura 1.65 20 Madhubani 1.79 21 Munger 2.27 22 Muzaffarpur 2.72 23 Nalanda 10.60 24 Nawada 14.57 25 Paschim Champaran 17.85 26 Patna 15.48 27 Purbi Champaran 2.15 28 Purnia 6.16 29 Rohtas 6.17 30 Saharsa 1.15 31 Samastipur 2.70 32 Saran 1.66 33 Sheikhpura 1.20 34 Sheohar 1.30 35 Sitamadhi 2.83 36 Siwan 0.46 37 Supaul 2.98 38 Vaishali 2.32 39 Others/Capacity added by DISCOMs 17.95 Total 307.07