The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC) has approved amendments to its 2021 regulations to promote rooftop solar installations, waiving the application fee, security deposit, and meter testing charges for domestic consumers. The connection agreement requirement has also been eliminated to simplify the process and encourage adoption under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. 

These waivers will remain in place until the state achieves its target of 500,000 rooftop solar installations or any revised goal set by the government. The move follows a petition by Jaipur, Ajmer, and Jodhpur Vidyut Vitran Nigams, which argued that removing financial and procedural barriers would accelerate solar adoption in Rajasthan, a state rich in solar energy potential. 

The Commission noted that the relaxations align with the PM Surya Ghar program’s objectives of empowering residential consumers to generate their own electricity. It also highlighted that these measures would reduce transmission losses and create local employment without negatively impacting DISCOM finances, thanks to substantial incentives from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). 

As of January 27, 2025, Rajasthan had 26,622 households with rooftop solar systems, representing 3.14% of the program's total 846,000 installations nationwide. 

(Mercom)