In a major push towards green energy, Andhra Pradesh is set to emerge as a national leader in solarising low-income households. At a high-level capacity-building workshop held recently at the Centre of Excellence for Energy Transition in Visakhapatnam, officials announced that the State has adopted a Utility Led Aggregation model to accelerate implementation of the PM–Surya Ghar scheme.
Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited Chairman and Managing Director Prudhvitej Immadi said the State government has introduced the ULA model under which the government funds the remaining capital expenditure through its subsidy budget. The initiative targets domestic consumers who currently receive 200 units of free electricity every month.
The total number of targeted consumers is 6 lakh, with a planned solar capacity of 1,200 MW. In the current phase, 2 lakh rooftop solar installations with a capacity of 400 MW are scheduled to be completed during the year. Tenders have been awarded to 41 EPC vendors following a division-wise cluster approach, he said.
At present, Andhra Pradesh has around 94,000 consumer-led rooftop solar installations with a total installed capacity of 328 MW. Of this, APEPDCL alone accounts for 44,452 installations with a capacity of 142 MW.
To ensure smooth adoption of rooftop solar systems, the discom has dismantled several bureaucratic hurdles. All charges are collected at a single stage, while application fees and net metering charges have been waived. Installations are being approved within an average of three to four days through the PM Surya Ghar portal.
With the Chief Minister directing that the project be completed within the current financial year, most packages are expected to be commissioned by April 2026, and the remaining by May. Officials expressed confidence that this coordinated effort between engineers and EPC partners will transform Visakhapatnam and neighbouring districts into a hub for sustainable and inclusive energy.
Published – February 03, 2026 08:58 pm IST
