Lok Sabha Question No. 1345 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-09
Subject: Solar Power Plants in Tribal Areas
Ministry: NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Asked by: Imtiaz Jaleel Syed, T.R.V.S. Ramesh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1345

ANSWERED ON 09.02.2023

## SOLAR POWER PLANTS IN TRIBAL AREAS

## 1345. SHRI SYED IMTIAZ JALEEL SHRI T.R.V.S. RAMESH

Will the Minister of NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has approved the setting up of new solar parks in the country and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise including Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to set up solar power plants in tribal areas of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) if not, the time by which such plants are likely to be set up in the said areas;
- (d) the efforts being made by the Government to increase the capacity of solar power generation; and
- (e) the efforts being made by the Government to make the power distribution system accessible to the general public in various regions of the country?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND POWER

## (SHRI R.K. SINGH)

- (a): The Government has sanctioned 57 Solar Parks in 13 States including Maharashtrawith aggregate capacity of 39,285 MW in the country. No solar park has been sanctioned in Tamil Nadu. State/UTwise details are given at Annexure.
- (b)&(c) The solar power plants are set up in any area, including tribal area, depending upon land availability and solar radiation level.
- (d) The Government has taken following steps to promote renewable energy including solar energy in the country:
- Permitting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) up to 100 percent under the automatic route,
- Waiver of Inter State Transmission System (ISTS) charges for inter-state sale of solar and wind power for projects to be commissioned by 30th June 2025,
- Declaration of trajectory for Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) up to the year 2029-30,
- Setting up of Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Parks to provide land and transmission to RE developers for installation of RE projects at large scale,
- Schemes such as Pradhan MantriKisanUrja Suraksha evamUtthaanMahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM), Solar Rooftop Phase II, 12000 MW CPSU Scheme Phase II, etc.,
- Laying of new transmission lines and creating new sub-station capacity under the Green Energy Corridor Scheme for evacuation of renewable power,
- Notification of standards for deployment of solar photovoltaic system/devices,
- Setting up of Project Development Cell for attracting and facilitating investments,
- Standard Bidding Guidelines for tariff based competitive bidding process for procurement of Power from Grid Connected Solar PV and Wind Projects.
- 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.
- Notification of Promoting Renewable Energy through Green Energy Open Access Rules 2022.
- Notification of 'The electricity (Late Payment Surcharge and related matters) Rules (LPS rules).
- Launch of Green Term Ahead Market (GTAM) to facilitate sale of Renewable Energy Power through exchanges.
- National Green Hydrogen Mission approved with an aim to make India a Global Hub for production, utilization and export of Green Hydrogen and its derivatives.

(e) The Government has launched the Reforms-based and Results-linked, Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme with estimated Gross Budgetary Support  of Rs. 97,631 crore for the duration of 5 years i.e. from (FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26). The scheme has been formulated with the objective of  improving  the  quality  and  reliability  of  power  supply  to  consumers  through  a  financially sustainable  and  operationally  efficient  distribution  Sector.  The  Scheme  aims  to  reduce  the Aggregate Technical & Commercial to pan-India levels of 12-15% and Average Cost of SupplyAverage Realizable Revenue (ACS-ARR) gap to zero by 2024-25.

The  Scheme  has  two  major  components:  Part  'A'  -  Financial  support  for  Prepaid  Smart Metering & System Metering and upgradation of the Distribution Infrastructure and Part 'B'  Training & Capacity Building and other Enabling & Supporting Activities.

The release of funds under the scheme have been linked to Results and Reforms and the scheme allows States to adopt customised reform measures and plan infrastructure works to meet specific needs of the State with the approval of the Government of India.

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ANNEXURE  REFFERED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a)OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1345 FOR 09.02.2023

## STATE-WISE DETAILS OF SOLAR PARK SANCTIONED

| Sl. No.   | State            |   Number of Parks |   Approved Capacity (MW) |
|-----------|------------------|-------------------|--------------------------|
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh   |                 5 |                     4100 |
| 2         | Chhattishgarh    |                 1 |                      100 |
| 3         | Gujarat          |                 7 |                    12025 |
| 4         | Himachal Pradesh |                 2 |                     1280 |
| 5         | Jharkhand        |                 7 |                     1169 |
| 6         | Karnataka        |                 2 |                     2500 |
| 7         | Kerala           |                 2 |                      155 |
| 8         | Madhya Pradesh   |                 9 |                     6080 |
| 9         | Maharashtra      |                 2 |                      750 |
| 10        | Mizoram          |                 1 |                       20 |
| 11        | Odisha           |                 3 |                      340 |
| 12        | Rajasthan        |                 9 |                     7036 |
| 13        | Uttar Pradesh    |                 7 |                     3730 |
| Total     | Total            |                57 |                    39285 |