VIJAYAWADA: In a push to accelerate renewable energy adoption in agriculture, Chief Secretary K. Vijayanand has directed power distribution companies (DISCOMs) to fast-track the solarisation of 2.93 lakh agriculture pump sets and 1,156 feeders, aiming for a capacity of 1,162.8 MW under the PM-KUSUM Scheme.
At a virtual review meeting on feeder-level solarisation held on Saturday, Vijayanand stressed the project’s potential to boost renewable energy usage across the state. He noted that 5,842 acres of land had already been identified, while DISCOMs were told to coordinate with district collectors to hand over the remaining 1,700 acres to NREDCAP.
He directed the immediate execution of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and Land Lease Agreements, urging developers to complete works within 12 months. NREDCAP was tasked with ensuring timely release of Central Financial Assistance (CFA).
Vijayanand said solarising agriculture feeders would ease subsidy burdens, provide farmers with reliable daytime power, and strengthen renewable capacity. He called for quick resolution of approval delays.
APEPDCL, APCPDCL, and APSPDCL have already floated tenders and issued Letters of Intent covering over 1,35,000 pump sets.