Gandhinagar | Due to the abundant inflow of water in Gujarat, which has been drenched by the clouds this monsoon season, the dams of the state have become full. As a result, record electricity is being produced from hydro power stations. 1067.3 million units (MU) of electricity has been produced from the big dams of Gujarat like Ukai, Kadana and Sardar Sarovar in August 2024. At the same time, the figure of electricity production in July was 308.7 million units. It is worth mentioning that efforts are currently being made at various levels under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with an ambitious vision to promote clean energy and facilitate energy transition. India has set a target to reach 500 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel based energy capacity by the year 2030 and to increase the share of renewable energy to at least 50 percent in terms of total installed power capacity.
Under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Gujarat is moving ahead with a proactive approach towards achieving this vision. Currently, various projects including solar rooftop, hydro power projects and renewable energy parks are accelerating renewable energy production in the state. The generation of electricity in Sardar Sarovar Dam, which is important to overcome the water problem in Gujarat, has crossed 800 million units in the month of August. A total of 891 million units of electricity have been generated from Sardar Sarovar (Riverbed Power House-RBPH) and Sardar Sarovar (Canal Head Power House-CHPH) in the month of August. On the other hand, a significant increase has been registered in the power generation of other hydro power plants in the state. An average of 4600 million units of electricity has been generated from Ukai, Kadana, Panam and Sardar Sarovar Dam in the last five years.
The total hydro power generation of the state in the year 2022-23 was 6170.456 MU, which is 134 percent more than 2629.059 MU in the year 2021-22. The total hydro power generation of the state in the year 2023-24 has been 4584.932 MU. Due to the vision and long-term planning of the then Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi, today Gujarat has become a leading state in the country in the field of renewable energy. During his tenure as Chief Minister, for the first time in the country, the Department of Climate Change was established in Gujarat, due to which capable steps could be taken to achieve goals like sustainability, energy transition and net-zero. Gujarat is the first state in the country to issue renewable energy related policies to encourage the development of renewable energy in the state.