Rajasthan has made significant strides in renewable energy development, making it the state with the highest installed renewable energy capacity of 27,937.04 MW as of May 2024. Last year, Rajasthan released its new renewable energy policy with the aim of developing 90 GW of clean power projects by 2029-30. Of this, 65 GW will comprise solar energy, 15 GW will be wind and hybrid power, and 10 GW will comprise hydro, pumped storage and battery energy storage systems. Furthermore, and the state has finalised its green hydrogen policy. The policy targets the setting up of 2,000 ktpa of green hydrogen production capacity by 2030, the commissioning of at least one green hydrogen valley and at least one giga factory for electrolyser manufacturing. It also aims to contribute 20 per cent of the total green hydrogen exports and ensure blending of up to 10 per cent green hydrogen in Rajasthan’s natural gas pipelines by 2030.
While Rajasthan has taken several positive steps towards renewable energy development, several challenges remain. These include the Great Indian Bustard issue, which has stranded several renewable energy projects. Large-scale projects near waterbodies such as the Sambhar Lake have also been stranded due to their possible impact on the biodiversity and ecosystem of the region. Thus, not only are old projects at risk but new developments may also get impacted due to lack of investor confidence. Renewable Watch provides an overview of the power sector in Rajasthan…
