Rajasthan Govt Launches Program for Farmers to Build Solar Plants on Barren Land

The Rajasthan government has started a program to assist farmers who want to build solar energy plants on their unusable or unused property (Barren Land).

A senior state government official stated, “The farmers can lease their unused land under the Saur Krishi Aajeevika Yojana (SKAY) program to build solar energy plants, which would help them raise their living conditions. Farmers and landowners can register their property for lease on an internet portal that has been set up.”

The developer of the site can build up a solar energy plant in compliance with the regulations after viewing the information about the land that farmers have posted on the portal.

“Under the PM Kusum Yojana, the land developer can simply obtain a government subsidy by using SKAY (30 percent of the cost). To ensure that the landowner/farmer receives risk protection, the state government would set up a tripartite agreement between the concerned developer, discom, and power firm,” he continued.

As a result, the state government will be able to make Rajasthan a green energy state and expand solar energy production. Pollution will decrease when traditional energy use decreases.

The state government created the SKAY to support the development of decentralized solar power plants at agricultural load centers, particularly in rural areas, as part of PM-Kusum component C (Feeder Level Solarlisation on Barren Land).

According to a representative from the state’s energy department, Rajasthan generates 14,454.70 Mw of solar energy, comprising 11,821.87 Mw of ground-mounted solar capacity, 814.02 Mw of rooftop solar capacity, 438.41 Mw of off-grid solar capacity, and 1,380.40 Mw of solar hybrid. The state government has established a goal of 30 Gw by 2024–2025 and intends to take systematic advantage of this potential. 

Recently, Amazon signed three separate deals for a total of 420 MW for powering its operations. The deals were signed with leading developers Renew Power (220 MW), AMP Energy (100 MW), and Brookfield Renewable (110 MW) to develop solar plants in Rajasthan.