India seeks to boost rooftop solar, especially for its remote areas

By SIBI ARASU
Associated Press

BENGALURU, India (AP) — India is renewing its push to add rooftop solar to meet the needs of a fast-growing nation that’s hungry for energy. Just a few years ago, an installation meant getting multiple approvals, finding a reliable company and shelling out plenty of money before a buyer could see her first bit of clean energy. But that’s changing. The government has streamlined approvals, made it easier for people to claim subsidies and pushed mountains of cash to encourage faster adoption of a technology seen as critical for India’s clean-energy goals. That includes $9 billion that Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in early February. Rooftop solar is seen as an especially good energy solution in India’s remote areas.