SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir ranks second in India for its high potential to generate solar energy, according to documents.
As revealed by documents accessed by the news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Jammu and Kashmir has the potential to produce 111050 MW of solar energy.
Rajasthan holds the top spot in India with the potential to produce 142310 MW of solar energy.
Following Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh also exhibit significant potential, with capacities of 64320, 61660, and 38440 MWs of solar energy, respectively.
Presently, Jammu and Kashmir has an installed capacity of 27.25MW of solar power.
In the last financial year, the central government allocated Rs 27.98 crores to further tap into solar energy in Jammu and Kashmir.
Notably, the Ministry of Renewable Energy has initiated a mission to install 175 GW of renewable energy capacity, comprising 100 GW from solar, 60 GW from wind, 10 GW from bio-power, and 5 GW from small hydro-power.
This year, the Centre is also focused on establishing infrastructure for utilizing renewable energy sources in Jammu and Kashmir.
In the budget released earlier this year, the Centre proposed installing an additional 4,000 agricultural solar pumps and commissioning about 80 megawatts of solar capacity, benefiting 20,000 families in the union territory.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir government plans to harness 500 Megawatts of solar energy by 2030 under a clean energy mission.
According to the vision document of the Jammu and Kashmir government, the target is to generate 1500 MW of solar energy in the union territory by 2047.
An official from the Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency mentioned that they have been promoting the use of solar energy-driven appliances.
“We are offering financial assistance for solar water heaters, cookers, and other everyday goods. A significant effort to encourage people to utilize appliances powered by renewable energy would be launched in the upcoming months,” he said. (KNO)
