Gujarat ranks second and third in the country in the respective sectors, with 8,900 megawatts of wind power and 6,200 megawatts of solar power installed, respectively, according to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Monday.
“In the wind power sector, Gujarat stands second in the country with a 22 per cent share. In solar energy, Gujarat is the third with a 13 per cent share,” Patel said at an event titled “Building a Climate-Resilient Gujarat”, where diplomats from the UK and Switzerland were also present along with officials and students.
“We are encouraging people to set up solar rooftops on their residences. Gujarat tops the list of states in setting up solar rooftops. Out of the total solar rooftop capacity in India, 25 per cent (1,640 megawatts) is in Gujarat. In the last five years, 1,258 megawatts’[worth of] solar rooftops have been set up on houses. More than 3.25 lakh residents have been given Rs 2,151 crore during this five-year period,” he said.
Also on Monday, the government announced a Rs 1.5 crore grant to Gujarat University to establish a climate change centre of excellence. The government also reached agreements with a number of organisations, including UNICEF and the European Union.
While the memorandum of understanding with Unicef India is about raising awareness and capacity building for solid and liquid waste management, the letter of acceptance from the European Union was for the establishment of a learning lab at Gujarat Science City, where the event was held.
The government also signed memorandums of understanding with the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad and the Indian Institute of Technology-Gandhinagar for developing a climate change policy and a road map for net-zero emissions by 2070.
Similar agreements were signed with Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda to conduct research on climate change and with Ahmedabad University for assessing the feasibility of carbon capture and storage.
In addition, the government signed an agreement with Pandit Deendayal Energy University for a pilot project on solar charging stations for electric vehicles. To promote green startups, an agreement was signed with the state-run Gujarat Energy Development Agency.
A collaboration agreement was signed with Navsari Agricultural University to conduct a study on the impact of climate change on agriculture, as well as research, training, and capacity building. Also, the government signed an agreement with Suzlon to develop 2,000 megawatts of power in the Kutch and Saurashtra regions.