500 MW Solar capacity planned in next two years
Punjab Newsline, Shimla-
With the objective of making the State self-reliant in the energy sector, the Himachal Pradesh Government has set a target to meet more than 90 per cent of its energy requirement through renewable energy sources and to transform Himachal Pradesh into a Green Energy State by March 2026, stated Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu here on Monday. At present the annual energy consumption of the State is nearly around 13 thousand million units.
He said that the State has witnessed a massive shift towards harnessing solar energy due to the Green initiatives of the State Government and has set a target to set up 500 MW of solar power projects within next two years.
Under the' Green Panchayat Programme', Gram Panchayats have been placed at the centre of this initiative under which 500 kw ground-mounted solar power projects will be installed in all Panchayats across the State, he said. In the first phase, approval has been granted for setting up 500 kw solar power plants in 24 Gram Panchayats and work has already commenced in 16 such Panchayats. Under this programme, a total solar power generation target of 150 MW has been set.
"Out of the total revenue generated from electricity produced by these projects 20 would be utilized by the State Government to provide assistance to orphan children and widows of the respective Gram Panchayats" said Sh. Sukhu.
Besides this, the Chief Minister stated that Pekhubela Solar Power Project in Una district commenced commercial operations on 15 April 2024. So far, it has generated 79.03 million units of net electricity and earned revenue amounting to Rs. 22.91 crore. Power generation from the Aghlour Solar Power Project in Una district started on 21st May 2025. The project has so far produced 5.89 million units of net electricity. The Bhanjal Solar Power Project in Una district began commercial operations on 30 November 2024 and has generated 8.57 million units of net electricity, earning revenue of Rs. 3.10 crore to date.
Currently, three solar power projects with a combined capacity of 31 MW are in the execution stage, while four solar power projects with a total capacity of 41 MW are at the tendering stage. A 200 MW solar power plant will also be established on barren land in the Damtal area of Kangra district. Solar off-grid systems have been installed in 148 households under Corporate Social responsibility in remote and tribal villages of Spiti as Mud, Langza, Hikkim and Kaumik.
Further, under the 'First Come, First Served' policy, solar power projects ranging from 250 kw to 5 MW are being allotted. Electricity generated from these projects will be purchased by the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL).So far, 547 investors have been allotted ground-mounted solar power projects with a total capacity of 595.97 MW. Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) have already been signed for projects with a capacity of 403.09 MW.
In addition, HIMURJA has allotted solar power projects with a total capacity of 728.4 MW to the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited, out of which 150.13 MW capacity of rooftop-mounted solar projects has already been allocated.
Apart from this, the State Government is also making concerted efforts to promote alternative energy projects in areas such as green hydrogen, compressed biogas, geothermal energy and other emerging sectors, he said.
"Through these sustained and comprehensive initiatives, the State Government is steadily moving towards its vision of making Himachal Pradesh a leading Green Energy State in the country by 2026", reiterated the Chief Minster.