Centre expects to achieve its target of generating 100 GW solar power 2017-end: Piyush Goyal

The Modi government expects to achieve its ambitious target of generating 100 GW of solar power by end of 2017.

Power Minister Piyush Goyal at Mumbai University in suburban Kalina said “we are looking to achieve the target of generating 100 GW solar power by end of 2017.” So far solar power generation has already crossed 19,000 MW in the just-concluded fiscal.

Goyal added “when Modi Govt. came to power, solar energy capacity was only 2,400 MW, and the target set by the National Solar Energy Mission then was 20,000 MW by FY2022. But PM Modi increased the target by five times to 100 GW by 2022."

There are now 33 approved solar parks across 21 states nationwide currently at various stages of development. Once completed, these solar projects will add 19.9 GW of new PV capacity, thus edging India closer to its goal of achieving 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022, of which 100 GW will be from solar PV, 60 GW from wind, 10 GW from biomass and 5 GW from small hydroelectric projects.