Lok Sabha Question No. 3477 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-24
Subject: Solar Powered Mini Grids
Ministry: NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Asked by: Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3477

ANSWERED ON 24.03.2022

## SOLAR POWERED MINI GRIDS

## 3477. COL. RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE

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

- (a) whether the Government is collecting data on usage of solar powered mini grids in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the number of mini grids installed across the country, State-wise including districts of Rajasthan;
- (c) whether the Government has set up any investigation and feasibility panels for large scale use of solar mini grids for rural and remote areas in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has any policy framework which can govern and oversee mass usage of solar powered mini grids in rural areas of the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether the Government proposes to decarbonize agri-feeders by leveraging decentralized renewable energy like mini grids and schemes like Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan
- (PM-KUSUM) Scheme; and
- (f)   if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND POWER (SHRI R.K. SINGH)

(a) to (d) Under Off-grid & Decentralized Solar PV Applications Programme Ph-II, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy was providing financial support for installation of solar powered mini-grids in rural  areas  of  the  country.  Under the  programme, solar mini/micro grids of 2299.2 kWp aggregated capacity were installed in 73 villages of the country. State-wise details are given below:

| State         |   No. of Solar micro-grids installed |   Aggregated Capacity (kWp) |
|---------------|--------------------------------------|-----------------------------|
| Jharkhand     |                                    9 |                       210.4 |
| Uttar Pradesh |                                   64 |                      2088.8 |
| Total         |                                   73 |                      2299.2 |

The Ph-II of the Programme was under implementation till 31.3.2017 and considering that Government targeted  to  electrify  all  villages  in  the  country  under  Deen  Dayal  Upadhyay  Gram  Jyoti  Yojana (DDUGJY)  Scheme,  the  financial  support  to  solar  micro-grid  was  discontinued  under  Off-grid  & Decentralized Solar PV Applications Programme Ph-III. On 28 April, 2018 all the inhabited census villages in the country were declared electrified and under the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana - Saubhagya scheme, as on 31.03.2021 all the States had reported 100% electrification of all the willing un-electrified households identified before 31.03.2019. The households which were earlier not willing to take electricity connections, but later showed willingness, are currently being electrified under Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) Scheme. Considering the above, no separate panel has been instituted or policy framework issued for electrification through solar powered mini grids.

(e)&(f) While scaling up the PM-KUSUM Scheme in November, 2020, Government has introduced feeder level solarisation (FLS) as a new variant for solarisation of the existing grid connected agriculture pumps. The FLS guidelines were issued in December, 2020. Based on demand received from the States, a total of 9.25 lakh grid connected agriculture pumps have been sanctioned under the FLS, which are at different stages of implementation by the respective state implementing agencies.

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