MUMBAI : Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Friday that he will soon unveil a scheme enabling farmers to sell surplus electricity generated by agricultural solar pump panels to the grid, providing them with an additional source of income.
He made this announcement during the inauguration of an MSEDCL website designed for registering beneficiary farmers under the scheme. Additionally, he released an informative booklet and poster detailing the scheme’s particulars.
Fadnavis highlighted that prior to 2014, farmers encountered severe difficulties with pending electricity connections. The current administration has prioritised providing farmers with electricity connections.
Presently, under the ‘Magel Tyala Solar Krushi Pump Scheme,’ farmers are receiving immediate pumps with a 90% subsidy. Solar agricultural pumps guarantee a reliable daytime electricity supply. Considering that solar panels generate electricity for 25 years, farmers will be exempt from paying electricity bills during that period. For a 7.5 HP pump, a farmer is projected to save approximately Rs 10 lakh in electricity bills over the course of 25 years, a senior MSEDCL official said.
Fadnavis said that under the Chief Minister Solar Agricultural Feeder Scheme 2.0, agreements have been made for 12,000 MW of electricity generation in the state. “Full capacity generation is expected to commence within the next two years, providing farmers with 100% solar energy for irrigation purposes. Farmers will receive environmentally friendly green energy, resulting in savings in subsidy and cross-subsidy funds,” he said.
Fadnavis emphasised that the past two and a half years have been a pivotal period for the state’s energy sector, with all three electricity companies making substantial contributions.
