Patna: Bihar is stepping up its renewable energy push with the launch of the Mukhyamantri Solar Protsahan Yojana, under which households installing rooftop solar systems will receive additional financial assistance from the state government.
Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary launched the scheme at the Energy Auditorium in Patna on Tuesday and transferred additional state assistance to 25,000 beneficiaries of the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.
The Chief Minister also flagged off nine Solar Raths for a statewide awareness campaign on the benefits and use of solar energy.
Up to Rs 20,000 Additional State Assistance
Under the new state scheme, consumers installing a 1 kW rooftop solar system will receive Rs 10,000 in additional assistance from the Bihar government.
For a 2 kW system, the state assistance will be Rs 20,000, while consumers installing a 3 kW system will also receive Rs 20,000 from the state.
This assistance will be provided in addition to the central government’s support under the PM Surya Ghar scheme.
The Centre provides Rs 30,000 for a 1 kW system, Rs 60,000 for a 2 kW system and up to Rs 78,000 for a 3 kW or higher-capacity system.
Solar Adoption Expected to Reduce Electricity Costs
Chaudhary said wider adoption of solar energy could help households reduce their electricity expenditure while also lowering the government’s burden of providing electricity subsidies.
According to figures shared during the programme, Bihar currently has around 2.22 crore electricity connections, including approximately 1.94 crore domestic consumers.
Around 1.60 crore households have reportedly been receiving zero electricity bills for the past year.
The state government currently spends around Rs 23,000 crore on electricity subsidies, including approximately Rs 5,000 crore for the agricultural sector.
Agriculture Feeders to Be Shifted to Solar Power
The Chief Minister said the government plans to work towards making 100 per cent of agricultural feeders solar-powered within the next two years.
The objective is to provide farmers with solar-generated electricity from 6 am to 6 pm.
According to the government, solarising agricultural feeders could help save up to around Rs 5,000 crore spent on electricity subsidies for agriculture.
Chaudhary directed the Energy Department to prepare a detailed action plan for the initiative.
Bihar Targets 20,000 MW Power Infrastructure
The Chief Minister also highlighted the expansion of Bihar’s electricity demand and infrastructure.
He said the state’s electricity consumption, which was around 350 MW earlier, has now increased to approximately 10,000 MW.
With industrial and other electricity requirements expected to grow, Bihar has set a target of creating infrastructure capable of supporting 20,000 MW of power over the next five years.
He stressed that increasing generation capacity alone would not be sufficient and that transmission, distribution networks, grids, power lines and other supporting infrastructure would also need to be strengthened.
Focus on Battery and Power Storage
Chaudhary said energy storage would become increasingly important as Bihar expands its solar capacity.
He noted that electricity is relatively cheaper during the daytime, while the state has to purchase power at rates of around Rs 18 to Rs 19 per unit between 6 pm and 10-11 pm.
The government therefore plans to promote solar power, battery storage, pumped storage and other green energy sectors.
A policy for green hydrogen is also being prepared, with the government estimating the potential for around Rs 16,000 crore in investment in Bihar.
Local Bodies to Get Incentives for Solar Performance
The Chief Minister also announced incentives for local bodies that perform well in promoting solar energy.
A top-performing panchayat in a district will receive an incentive of Rs 1 lakh.
The incentive will be Rs 1 lakh for a municipal corporation, Rs 75,000 for a municipal council and Rs 50,000 for a nagar panchayat.
The Energy Department has also been asked to conduct awareness campaigns at the grassroots level and inform residents about the benefits of solar energy and available government assistance.
CM Urges Households to Install Rooftop Solar
Chaudhary urged financially capable families to consider installing solar systems on their homes.
He said he had personally installed a 13 kW solar plant at his residence.
Referring to the Chief Minister’s residence, he said a 190 kW solar plant had already been installed there during the tenure of former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and that the installation had helped bring the residence’s electricity bill to zero.
He also highlighted net metering, through which consumers can benefit from surplus electricity generated beyond their household requirements.
Nine Solar Raths Flagged Off for Awareness Campaign
As part of the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, the Chief Minister flagged off nine Solar Raths for awareness campaigns across all divisions of Bihar.
The mobile campaigns will focus on educating people about rooftop solar systems, their benefits and the financial assistance available from the Centre and state government.
The programme also featured an MoU between electricity distribution companies and JEEViKA to promote solar energy adoption with the support of JEEViKA Didi across Bihar.
Chaudhary also interacted through video conference with beneficiaries from Supaul, Nalanda and Munger and congratulated them on adopting solar energy.
Bihar Reviews Long-Term Energy Strategy
The Chief Minister said a committee has been constituted to review the state’s overall energy infrastructure and prepare a future roadmap based on its recommendations.
The government aims to strengthen generation, transmission, distribution and storage capacity while expanding renewable energy use.
The initiatives announced at the programme are intended to support Bihar’s growing electricity demand and encourage a broader shift towards solar and other clean energy sources.
