Union Minister Pralhad Joshi Highlights India’s Solar Growth at Vibrant Gujarat

Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Shri Pralhad Joshi, addressed the 'Vibrant Gujarat' Regional Conference organized at Ganpat University in Mehsana. He lauded Gujarat's achievements in the clean energy sector and expressed pride in the renewable energy revolution that has swept the nation under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

The Union Minister stated that, under the leadership of the Prime Minister and the efforts of Chief Minister Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel, Gujarat now sources about 60% of its installed capacity from renewable energy. When Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi first initiated the solar energy endeavor 25 years ago, the cost per unit was ₹18 to ₹20. He added that a visionary is someone who can foresee what will happen 20-25 years later. The Prime Minister had envisioned it at that time. Today, this vision has become a revolution. Recently, the cost of a solar unit in Madhya Pradesh has dropped to just ₹2.15 per unit. Even with battery storage, the price per unit was recorded at ₹2.70. The initiative that many doubted has today positioned India as a frontrunner in the global solar revolution, he said.

The Minister mentioned that in 2014 when Prime Minister Modi took office, the country's total solar power generation was only 2.8 Gigawatts (GW). Today, the country is getting 125 GW of electricity solely from solar power.

Praising Mehsana, Shri Joshi said, "Mehsana is a very dynamic place, which is considered a beacon of clean energy." He highlighted that Modhera in the district is perhaps the only village in the world to generate 24x7 clean electricity, which is a matter of great pride.

Drawing attention to the serious challenge of climate change, the Union Minister said, "Due to our increasing demand, we are becoming unsustainable, not sustainable. We are destroying nature and biodiversity." He warned that the Earth's temperature has risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius since the Industrial Revolution, leading to the extinction of creatures like the polar bear and polar fox. Shri Joshi emphasized, "We have a maximum of 7 years before the temperature rises by 1.5 degrees. If we cross this, the situation will become very serious.

He appealed to the youth and industrialists of the country, stating that this is the time, we must protect the Earth. We must protect biodiversity. He commended Gujarat's solar initiative and requested everyone to promote solar energy and clean energy.