Uttar Pradesh, under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, is spearheading India’s fight against climate change with an unprecedented push for renewable energy and environmental conservation. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and extreme weather patterns have brought climate action to the forefront, and UP is setting a powerful example for the rest of the nation.
In just eight years, the state has increased its solar energy production nearly tenfold and planted over 214 crore saplings, significantly boosting its green cover. Recognising these strides, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs and Food, Prahlad Joshi, lauded UP’s initiatives during a recent visit to Lucknow, calling them a “role model” for India’s energy transition.
The state’s Solar Energy Policy 2022 aims to generate 22,000 megawatts of solar power by 2027. Solar parks are actively being developed in Jhansi, Lalitpur, Kanpur Nagar, Kanpur Dehat, Chitrakoot, and Jalaun, with expansive efforts also underway in Ayodhya and Varanasi.
When CM Adityanath assumed office in 2017, UP’s solar capacity stood at 288 megawatts. Today, it has grown nearly tenfold, with new plans including the development of solar parks across all municipal corporations, installation of solar grids along railways and expressways, and conversion of street lighting to solar power. Transmission infrastructure is also being strengthened to support this growth.
Ayodhya is being transformed into a “solar city”, aligning with its Suryavanshi legacy, and 16 other municipal corporations along with Noida are set to follow. In a pioneering move, the Bundelkhand Expressway will become India’s first solar-powered expressway.
To promote domestic solar usage, the government is accelerating rooftop panel installations under the PM Surya Ghar Yojana. The target for FY 2025–26 is 2.65 lakh panels, with a goal of 8 lakh installations by FY 2026–27. New mandates also require buildings on plots over 5,000 square meters to install rooftop solar panels for approval—non-compliance could result in plan cancellations.
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On the ecological front, the state is targeting the plantation of 35 crore saplings in the current monsoon season alone. According to the Indian Forest Status Report 2023, UP recorded the second-highest increase in forest cover across India, adding 559.19 sq km, just behind Chhattisgarh. The plantation drives strategically include species with nutritional and medicinal value, marrying environmental protection with public health.
By combining aggressive clean energy expansion with sustainable afforestation, Uttar Pradesh is fast establishing itself as a national benchmark in digital and environmental governance.
Insights shared by: Energy Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh