Green energy, vegetation in focus in state

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh administration is implementing two crucial strategies: enhancing vegetation and advocating renewable energy.
Govt's solar energy policy 2022 aims to generate 22,000 mmegawatts of solar power by 2027. To achieve this, solar facilities are being established across districts, including Jhansi, Lalitpur, Kanpur Nagar, Kanpur Dehat, Chitrakoot and Jalaun.
Since 2017, the state's solar power generation has grown from 288 megawatts to nearly ten times that figure, with ongoing expansion plans.
The initiatives include establishing solar parks across municipal corporations, installing solar infrastructure along railways and expressways and converting streetlights to solar power. The power distribution network is being enhanced to accommodate increased capacity.
The administration plans to convert all 16 remaining municipal corporations and Noida into solar cities progressively. The Bundelkhand Expressway is set to become the country's first solar-powered expressway. State supports rooftop solar installations through the PM Surya Ghar Yojana. The target for rooftop panel installations has doubled for 2025-26, aiming to install 2.65 lakh panels this year.
The housing and urban planning department now requires rooftop solar panels for building plan approvals on plots over 5,000 square metres. Non-compliance could result in approval cancellation. The rooftop installation target has increased to 8 lakh by 2026-27.