Himachal Pradesh is all set to become the first green state in India and is targeting to meet all its energy needs using renewable energies and would generate 17 % more renewable energy, which it is presently taking from thermal power plants.

The State is underwriting a transition story to make India’s first Green State as well as meeting its thermal obligations, said a senior officer of the Himachal Bhawan here on Saturday. The state has proposed climate finance from G-7 countries at ‘Just and Fair cost’ through a ‘Grand-Bargain’.

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Himachal Pradesh is already consuming 83 % of its energy from renewable sources, the rest 17 % it is using from thermal power plants to maintain round the clock power supply at steady voltage and wavelength, the officer said.

Presently Himachal consumes 1,2000 Million Units (MU) of power annually, out of which 1,0000 MU comes from renewable only. Only 2000 MU is taken from thermal power plants because of long written PPAs (Power Purchase Agreements), which is going to be reduced to zero in the coming years.

Chief Minister Himachal Pradesh Jai Ram Thakur had taken up this matter with the Prime Minister, top brass of Niti Ayog and also discussed the issue with World Bank. Himachal Pradesh is one of the few states in India which produces maximum renewable energy. “Going 100 percent renewable would not be difficult for HP as we already have increased our share of renewable energy to a great extent,” said a senior officer of the Himachal Government.

During his address at Climate Change summit COP26 at Glasgow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had  assured the world to increase India’s non-fossil fuel power generation capacity to 50 Gega Watt. “What Himachal Pradesh is doing is one big step in this direction,” the state government claimed.