Firdous Hassan
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir government is planning to harness 500 Megawatts of solar energy by 2030 under a clean energy mission.
With power demand growing, the Jammu and Kashmir administration is looking for various alternatives including solar, wind, and small hydroelectricity to suffice the energy need.
Currently, the government is on a mission to tap renewable sources of energy to supplement the energy needs and achieve self-reliance in the energy sector.
As per the official documents accessed by The Kashmir Monitor, the government has set the target to exploit 500 MW of solar energy by 2030 by establishing solar projects including rooftop solar projects.
“It is aimed at supplementing the energy demand of the UT and self-consumption by prospective consumers to reduce the grid import,” it said.
The document said that the government has to complete the target of generating 1500 MW of solar energy in the union territory by 2047.
“By initiating new projects, Jammu and Kashmir will generate 1000 MW of solar energy by 2040,” it said.
As per the documents, the administration so far has installed a cumulative capacity of 25MW of grid-connected rooftop solar power plants in the union territory.
In addition to it, 50,000 solar streetlights and 500 solar pumps have been installed.
“170,000 Solar Home Systems and 500 domestic bio-gas plants have also been installed,” the document said.
The document said that solar power projects will be extended to the commercial sectors, which have a huge energy demand.
“To install grid-connected rooftop solar power plants across all the sector including commercial and industrial sectors thereby drastically reducing the energy import from the utility grid,” it said.
An official said the Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA) has already started establishing solar plants of various capacities under the Rooftop Solar Scheme to remove the dependency on hydroelectricity.
“The department has been inviting Expression of Interest regarding establishing solar plants. Our main motive is to popularize solar energy in Jammu and Kashmir which has a huge potential to tap this source of energy,” he said.
Pertinently, the Energy Statistics India report 2023 has revealed that Jammu and Kashmir has the second highest potential to generate renewable energy in the country.
The union territory as per the report has a share of 7.6 percent of the total potential of renewable power in India.
