Telangana targets 5 GW of renewables next year

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Telangana is planning a 1 GW solar tender as part of an ambition to hit 5 GW of renewable generation capacity next year.

Ajay Mishra, special chief secretary for energy in the state, told newspaper The Hindu Business Line Telangana is also planning to amend its solar policy to attract new projects and reflect falling solar equipment costs.

From less than 50 MW of solar capacity when the state was formed in 2014, Telangana now boasts 3,873 MW of installed solar, the second highest state total in the nation.

India’s newest state has followed a different path from the emphasis on large scale solar parks seen elsewhere in the union, with decentralized, distributed generation projects developed across 180 locations and only one, 100 MW large scale site.

Grid savings

“By opting for a distributed solar installation model, the state had managed to save about Rs450 crore which would have otherwise [been] required to strengthen the transmission and distribution network,” Mishra told the national daily.

The state is also in the process of finalizing a draft electric vehicle (EV) policy that includes plans for entirely electric public transport and shared mobility services by 2030 and the creation of 50,000 jobs by 2022.

The Telangana State Renewable Development Corporation responsible for developing EV charging infrastructure, is planning 250 charging stations over three years in Hyderabad, Warangal and Karimnagar. Hyderabad Metro Rail plans to provide EV charging at stations in partnership with PowerGrid Corporation of India Ltd.

Karimnagar in March became the first municipal corporation in the state to mandate rooftop solar on all new buildings larger than 300 square yards (2,800 ft). The move came under the country’s Smart City Mission, which mandates at least 10% of electricity be generated by solar.

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