In Short : Himachal Pradesh is set to become India’s first green energy state, according to Chief Minister Sukhu. The state is focusing on harnessing renewable energy sources to achieve this milestone, promoting sustainability and reducing carbon emissions.
In Detail : Una (HP) : Himachal Pradesh is on its way to becoming the first green energy state of the country, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Thursday.
Inaugurating a 32 MW Pekhubela solar power project, built on 49 hectares at a cost Rs 220 crore, in Una district, he said that the state government has set a target for the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) to install 500 MW of solar power capacity plant in the area.
To that end, the HPPCL has allotted the construction of three solar projects totalling 47 MW, the CM said in a statement. One of these projects has been completed, he said.
The foundation stone of the Pekhubela project was laid by Sukhu on December 2, 2023.
The plant started power generation on 15 April this year and was formally inaugurated today.
Sukhu said the project is expected to produce 6.61 crore units of electricity annually and Rs 19.17 crore in revenue for the state at a rate of Rs 2.90 per unit.
The project features 82,656 solar modules with electricity being transmitted through the Rakkad-Tahliwal transmission line.
The Pekhubela solar project is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 2,532 tonnes annually, according to the statement.
The HP government has invited tenders for seven additional solar projects with a combined capacity of 72 MW through HPPCL, it said.
Detailed project reports are being prepared for four solar power projects with a capacity of 54 MW, whereas pre-feasibility reports for ten solar power projects with a cumulative capacity of 77 MW are also in progress, it said.
