Solar cities Development programme

To cope with chronic power shortages in cities, improve air quality and reduce India s dependence on oil imports, the government enacted the Guidelines for the creation of Solar Cities across India. The programme will support urban local authorities of medium size towns, from 50, 000 and 500, 000 inhabitants, in assessing the needs and potentials for large deployment of solar technologies in the coming years. In a first phase, the programme will create ten pilot solar cities by 2012, with a INR 50 million crore, USD 11 million equivalent budget. If successful, Solar Cities should then be developed in each Indian state. Solar cities would be organised around Solar City Cells promoting solar technologies and providing for training activities. Solar technology projects will also be deployed in smaller geographic entities such as campuses and townships. The solar city plan will be evaluated in 2013 at the end of the 11th five year plan.

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