India budget plans 2 GW of solar farms next year
India plans to start work on at least 2 GW of solar farms in the year starting April that would nearly double its current photovoltaic capacity. The proposed new capacity would take the form of four so-called mega solar power projects capable of generating more than 500 MW each, Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said today in New Delhi in a speech announcing an interim budget that would provide funds until a new parliament is elected in national polls due by May. A record 15 percent of about 800 million voters will be eligible to cast ballots for the first time as the rising cost of electricity turns into an electoral issue.