Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the National Portal for Rooftop Solar, enabling online tracking of the installation process of rooftop solar plants and the Revamped Distribution Sector Program.

The rooftop solar portal will help track the developments starting from the registration of applications to the release of subsidies in the bank accounts of residential consumers post-installation and inspection of the plant.

As part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ – to celebrate 75 years of India’s Independence, the Ministry of Power and New & Renewable Energy are organizing ‘Bijli Mahotsav’ across all districts of India from July 25-31, 2022, under the umbrella of ‘Ujjwal Bharat Ujjwal Bhavishya – Power @ 2047’. Key achievements of the power sector are being highlighted through these events.

Revamped Distribution Sector Program

To bolster the operational efficiencies and financial sustainability of distribution companies (DISCOMs), Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Ministry of Power’s flagship Revamped Distribution Sector Program with an outlay of ₹3.03 trillion (~₹38 billion) for five years from the financial year (FY) 2021-22 to FY 2025-26.

Under the program, DISCOMs will be financially able to modernize and enhance the distribution infrastructure while improving the reliability and quality of supply to consumers. It also proposes the provision of 250 million Smart Prepaid meters to all consumers across India.

In June 2021, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the ‘Economic Relief from Pandemic’ package, declaring several SOPs for the DISCOMs, including the reform-based result-linked power distribution program.

Later last year, 39 out of 55 DISCOMs submitted the draft proposals under the program, in which Meghalaya and Assam emerged to be the frontrunners in planning operational and financial reforms.

Other renewable energy projects

The Prime Minister virtually laid the foundation stones for various renewable projects of NTPC amounting to ₹52 billion (~$656 million). He also inaugurated the 100 MW and 92 MW floating solar projects in Telangana’s Ramagundam and Kayamkulam in Kerala.

The Ramagundam project was completed using 450,000 ‘Made in India’ solar photovoltaic modules, making it the country’s largest floating solar PV project. With over 300,000 country-made solar PV panels, the Kayamkulam project is the second-largest floating solar PV project.

Modi laid the foundation stone for the 735 MW Nokh Solar Project in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India’s largest ‘Domestic Content Requirement’ based solar project with 1,000 MWp at a single location, deploying high-wattage bifacial PV modules with a tracker system.

The Prime Minister also virtually gave the go-ahead to the Green Hydrogen Mobility Pilot Project in Leh, which aims to operationalize five Fuel Cell Buses in and around Leh, and the Kawas Green Hydrogen Blending with Natural Gas project at NTPC Kawas Township in Gujarat.