Vani Mallela Tirupati

Ina major boost to Andhra Pradesh’s clean energy ambitions, the Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (APSPDCL) has successfully connected one lakh rooftop solar services to the grid, becoming the first among the state’s three discoms to cross this landmark figure.

Operating under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, the utility has achieved an installed capacity of 210 MW, focusing heavily on Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) households.

The initiative is executed through the Utility Led Aggregation (ULA) model, which aims to install 2 kW grid-connected rooftop systems on the homes of 2.07 lakh SC/ST consumers across nine southern districts: Nellore, Tirupati, Chittoor, Annamayya, Kadapa, Kurnool, Nandyal, Anantapur, and Sri Sathya Sai.

According to Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) data, APSPDCL has streamlined the entire workflow—from consent collection to grid integration—ensuring minimal delays.

Praising the coordinated efforts of field staff and solar agencies, CMD Siva Shankar Lotheti hailed the milestone and announced plans to cover all remaining eligible families.

Accounting for nearly 47% of the state’s progress in the SC/ST ULA programme, this achievement has propelled Andhra Pradesh into the top four states nationally for rooftop solar installations.