UP govt to train 60,000 youths as 'solar mitras', aims for 500 GW solar power by 2030

Lucknow, April 29 (IANS) In a bid to tackle the energy crisis and meet the burgeoning demand for electricity, the Uttar Pradesh government is taking steps to accelerate the green energy revolution in the state and also harness the solar energy by harnessing untapped potential in the sunrise sector.

“The state government has set an ambitious target to generate 500 gigawatts of solar energy by 2030,” said an official statement.

The government has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Smart Energy Council of Australia and the Hinduja Group.

An ambitious project to train 60000 ‘solar mitras’ has also been introduced, under which they will be turned into a skilled workforce who will take up tasks like solar panel installation and maintenance

The focus and thrust of the Yogi government on expeditious use of solar energy is evident from the fact that when he took office in 2017, the state's solar energy production was 288 MW. In the past ten years, that figure has increased tenfold.

Under the Solar Energy Policy, a near-term target of 2,200 MW has been set.

To realise this vision, solar parks will be established across all municipal corporations, solar grids will be installed along expressways and railway tracks, and streetlights will be powered by solar energy.

The target for rooftop panels in FY 2025–26 has been doubled to 2.65 lakh units. The state government is aggressively promoting rooftop solar installations under the PM Surya Ghar Yojana to boost adoption.

Ayodhya is being developed as a solar city, honouring the legacy of the ‘Suryavanshi’ Lord Shri Ram. In a phased manner, the remaining 16 municipal corporations and Noida are also being transformed into ‘solar cities’.

Many solar parks have been planned in cities like Jhansi, Jalaun, Chitrakoot, Lalitpur, Kanpur City, and Kanpur Dehat.

Notably, the Bundelkhand Expressway is set to become India’s first solar expressway, marking a milestone in sustainable infrastructure.

--IANS

mr/dan