Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines, Piyush Goyal, presided over the signing of Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) between Delhi Metro Railways Corporation (DMRC) and Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company (MPPMC) with Rewa Ultra Mega Solar limited, the implementing agency for the ‘world’s largest single-site solar power project’, the Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Power Project (UMSPP, 750MW) in Bhopal. Other dignitaries present on the occasion were Union Minister for Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Information and Broadcasting, M. Venkaiah Naidu and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.
Addressing the gathering, Naidu said that Madhya Pradesh is a special state having huge resource base that is being harnessed under Chouhan’s leadership. Taking a huge step towards realizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of 24x7 Affordable, Quality Power for All, Madhya Pradesh has successfully brought down the rate of solar power to Rs 3.30/ unit, which is a huge revolution in its own right, In his address, Chouhan said that the Madhya Pradesh government has set three guiding principles of its performance — equitable growth, social empowerment and sustainable development. The Chief Minister noted that a decade ago even water, electricity and roads used to be challenges in the State but now due to the dynamic development model being implemented, the year on year agricultural growth will touch 25 per cent this year and milestones like the cheapest solar power in the country are being achieved in Rewa. Madhya Pradesh has become the leading state in renewable energy sector in India, the Chief Minister said.
Goyal also mentioned that with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and cooperation of all Chief Ministers of various states, in the last three years, renewable energy has seen a growth of over 370 per cent. As compared to 2,600 MW of installed solar power capacity in 2014, today in India there is a total of 12,200 MW of installed solar power capacity and the country would achieve the 20,000 MW solar power capacity target five years ahead of schedule by the end of 2017, the Minister noted.