Catch the sun before it sets

The useful part

Jammu and Kashmir has a fresh opportunity to accelerate its transition to solar power, with the Centre significantly expanding financial support for renewable energy. To make the most of this window, J&K will need to put substantial resources of its own behind the effort and treat solarisation as a long-term infrastructure mission rather than another subsidy programme. Muft Bijli Yojana, which aims to take rooftop solar to one crore households across the country.

How it works

• PM-KUSUM and other renewable-energy programmes provide additional avenues of Central support.
• The scale of this financial commitment makes one thing clear: solar power is no longer a peripheral environmental initiative.
• It is increasingly becoming a mainstream component of India's energy security strategy.
• Several states have recognised this and are putting their own money alongside Central assistance to multiply its impact.
• Assam, for instance, has supplemented the Central subsidy under PM Surya Ghar with additional assistance of up to Rs 45,000, depending on system capacity.

What to take from it

On September 2, it announced a programme to provide 3-kW rooftop solar systems without upfront installation costs to around 2.30 lakh eligible households, combining Central subsidy with its own financial support. Successive budgets have provided resources for renewable energy, while J&K has offered additional assistance over Central support...

Details worth keeping

The question of financing is central to J&K's solar future.