Odisha has approved a major solar expansion aimed at cleaner electricity, stronger rural grids and more reliable power for farms.
Ten new 2 MW solar photovoltaic plants will be built across key locations in the state, adding 20 MW of capacity at an estimated cost of ₹81 crore.
The Energy Department decision, announced in Bhubaneswar on 28 August through Additional Chief Secretary Vishal Kumar Dev, places the work under Component-A of the Centre’s PM-KUSUM scheme and the state’s Odisha Akshaya Shakti Bikash Yojana (OASBY). Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA) will implement the programme.
Each plant will use modern grid-connected, ground-mounted solar technology and a SCADA monitoring system. Power will feed directly into the local distribution network. Officials say that will cut transmission losses and raise the share of clean energy in both villages and towns, while giving agriculture a steadier supply.
Over a 25-year operating life, the projects are expected to avoid about 5,50,339 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. The government presents that as a direct contribution to Odisha’s climate commitments and renewable purchase obligations.
Financing is split 30:70. The state will put in ₹24.30 crore as equity support. OREDA will raise the remaining ₹56.70 crore as open-market borrowing. Spending is planned across two years: ₹50 crore in 2025–26 (₹15 crore state equity and ₹35 crore loan) and ₹31 crore in 2026–27 (₹9.30 crore equity and ₹21.70 crore loan).
Taken together, the package is a practical bet: smaller plants close to demand, not distant mega-parks, with monitoring built in from day one. If execution matches the paper plan, Odisha’s next 20 megawatts of sun will show up first on village feeders and farm pumps.
