Assam has set a target of generating 3,500 MW of solar power by 2030 as part of its push towards clean and self-sufficient energy, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday.
The Chief Minister was speaking after inaugurating a 70 MW solar power plant at Khudigaon in the Bilasipara area of Dhubri district, a project developed jointly by SJVN Green Energy Limited and Assam Power Development Corporation Limited.
“Today, our solar capacity has reached 680 MW and by April we will touch 750 MW, steadily advancing towards a sustainable, clean energy future,” Sarma said in a post on X after inaugurating the plant. “Assam’s solar energy target is 3,500 MW by 2030!”
According to the Chief Minister’s Office, the project has been built at a cost of over Rs 350 crore and is expected to generate 141 million units of electricity annually, while reducing nearly 1.15 lakh tonnes of carbon emissions.
Speaking to reporters, Sarma said the new solar park would strengthen Assam’s journey towards self-sufficiency in power generation and reduce dependence on external sources of electricity.
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Highlighting the rapid expansion of solar capacity in the state, he said, “At one point of time, we had no solar power projects. Today, we are generating 680 MW of solar power. Another 50 MW project being implemented by SJVN at Borsolla in Sonitpur district will be completed by April, and we will reach 730 MW then.”
The Chief Minister also linked the renewable energy push to the government’s land policy, saying development projects would be implemented on government land cleared of encroachments to generate employment and boost local economies.
“Our aim is to clear government land of encroachments and implement projects in those lands. This will generate employment and uplift the local economy,” he said.
Sarma added that eviction drives would continue whenever projects are planned, warning that vacant land left unused after evictions was at risk of being encroached upon again.
“If we leave the evicted land without any activity, there is a chance that encroachment will happen again. So, we will clear government land as and when projects come,” he said.
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