Lok Sabha Question No. 2706 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-07
Subject: Criteria to set up Solar Power Generation Plants
Ministry: NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Asked by: Shri Gajendra  Singh Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2706

ANSWERED ON 07/08/2024

## CRITERIA TO SET UP SOLAR POWER GENERATION PLANTS

## 2706. SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH PATEL

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

(a) whether the Government has any plan specially for Scheduled Castes community to establish Solar power generation plant and if so, the details thereof; and

(b) the criteria adopted/laid down to set up solar power generation plant by ST community?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF  STATE  FOR NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND POWER

## (SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK)

(a) & (b) Any individual, including from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, is eligible for financial support for establishing rooftop solar (RTS) power project under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojna of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

Any  farmer,  including  from  Scheduled  Castes  and  Scheduled  Tribes,  is  eligible  for  financial support  for  installing  stand  alone  solar  agricultural  pumps  and  solarization  of  grid  connected agricultural pumps under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyaan (PM KUSUM) scheme.

In addition, MNRE is implementing the New Solar Power Scheme (for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal  Groups  (PVTG)  Habitations/Villages)  under  the  Pradhan  Mantri  Janjati Adivasi  Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) to electrify un-electrified PVTG households, identified by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, by providing off-grid solar systems where grid electricity is unavailable and not techno-economically feasible.

The criteria and details of incentives available to individuals, including from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, under solar schemes of MNRE are given at Annexure-I.

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## ANNEXURE- I REFFERED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) & (b) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2706 FOR 07.08.2024

## CRITERIA AND DETAILS OF INCENTIVES AVAILABLE TO INDIVIDUALS UNDER SOLAR SCHEMES OF MNRE

## 1) PM - Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana

## Criteria:

Any consumer tagged to a particular residential power connection of the local DISCOM, is  eligible  to  take  benefit  under  the  scheme  and  can  install  RTS  system  on  a roof/terrace/balcony or on top of elevated structures

## Incentive:

The details of the CFA pattern under this component are as follows:

|   Sr. No. | Type of Residential Segment                                                                                                                           | CFA               | CFA (Special Category)   |
|-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------|--------------------------|
|         1 | Residential Sector (first 2 kWp of RTS capacity or part thereof)                                                                                      | Rs 30,000/kWp     | Rs 33,000/kWp            |
|         2 | Residential Sector (with additional RTS capacity of 1 kWp or part thereof)                                                                            | Rs 18,000/kWp     | Rs 19,800/kWp            |
|         3 | Residential Sector (additional RTS capacity beyond 3 kWp)                                                                                             | No additional CFA | No additional CFA        |
|         4 | Group Housing Societies/ Residential Welfare Associations (GHS/RWA) etc, for common facilities including EV charging up to 500 kWp (@3 kWp per house) | Rs 18,000/kWp     | Rs 19,800/kWp            |

## 2) PM-KUSUM scheme

Component A: Setting  up  of  10,000  MW  of  Decentralized  Ground/Stilt  Mounted Solar Power Plants

## Criteria:

- The  farmer  should  have his  own  land,  preferably  within  the  5  km  radius  of Distributed Sub Station.

## Incentive:

Procurement  Based  Incentive  (PBI)  to  the  DISCOMs  @  40  paise/kWh  or  Rs.6.60 lakhs/MW/year, whichever is lower, for buying solar power under this scheme. The PBI is given to the DISCOMs for a period of five years from the Commercial Operation Date of the plant. Therefore, the total PBI payable to DISCOMs is up to Rs. 33 Lakh per MW.

## Component B: Installation of 14.00 Lakh Stand-alone Solar Pumps

## Criteria:

- Standalone solar pump should be installed for irrigation purpose.
- The  land  where  farmer  want  to  install  solar  pumps  should  not  have  a  grid connected agriculture pump.
- Installation  of  new  standalone  solar  pump  is  not  allowed  in  Dark  Zone  area. However existing standalone diesel pumps, can be converted into standalone solar pumps in these areas provided they use micro irrigation techniques to save water.
- The size of pump would be selected on the basis of water table in the area, land covered and quantity of water required for irrigation.

## Incentive:

CFA of 30% of the benchmark cost or the tender cost, whichever is lower, of the standalone  solar  agriculture  pump  is  provided.  However,  in  North  Eastern  States,  Sikkim, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Lakshadweep and A&N Islands, CFA of 50% of the benchmark cost or the tender cost, whichever is lower, of the stand-alone solar pump is provided. Component B can also be implemented without State share of 30%. The Central Financial Assistance will continue to remain 30% and rest 70% will be borne by the farmer.

## Component  C: Solarisation  of  35  Lakh  Grid  Connected  Agriculture  Pumps including through feeder level solarisation

## Criteria:

(a) Individual Pump Solarization (IPS):

- The beneficiary should have grid connected agriculture pumps for irrigation
- In  case  of  dark  zones/black  zones  only  existing  grid  connected  pumps  will  be solarized, provided they use micro irrigation techniques to save water.
- Solar PV capacity up to two times of pump capacity in kW is allowed, so that the farmer will be able to use the generated solar power to meet the irrigation needs and get additional income by selling surplus solar power to DISCOMs
- (b) Feeder Level Solarization (FLS):
- States are supported for solarization of agricultural feeder or mixed feeders.
- Beneficiary can lease their land for installation of solar power plant to get lease rent.

## Incentive presently eligible as per the Scheme

- (a) Individual Pump Solarization (IPS):

CFA of 30% of the benchmark cost or the tender cost, whichever is lower, of the solar PV component  will  be  provided.   However,  in  North  Eastern  States,  Sikkim,  Jammu  & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Lakshadweep and A&N Islands, CFA of 50% of the benchmark cost or the tender cost, whichever is lower, of the solar PV component is provided. Component C (IPS) can also be implemented without State share of 30%. The Central Financial Assistance will continue to remain 30% and rest 70% will be borne by the farmer.

- (b) Feeder Level Solarization (FLS):

Agriculture feeders can be solarized by the State Government in CAPEX or RESCO mode with CFA of Rs. 1.05 Crore per MW as provided by MNRE.  However, in North Eastern States, Sikkim, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Island, CFA of Rs. 1.75 crore per MW is provided.

## 3)  New  Solar  Power  Scheme  (for  Particularly  Vulnerable  Tribal  Groups  (PVTG) Habitations/Villages)  under  the  Pradhan  Mantri  Janjati  Adivasi  Nyaya  Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN)

## Criteria

Un-electrified PVTG households (HHs), identified by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs

## Incentive

Under this scheme, MNRE provides Central Financial Assistance (CFA) of up to ₹50,000 per HH for the installation of off-grid solar systems of solar home lighting systems and solar powered mini-grids.