TEHRAN- Generation of solar electricity in Iran increased by 62 percent in the first nine months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-Decemebr 21, 2025), as compared to the same period of time in the previous year.

As reported, 1,658 gigawatt hours of electricity has been generated from the solar sources during the nine-month period, and in this way, the solar sources have played a pivotal role in increasing the generation of clean electricity in the country.

In mid-October, the Executive Secretary of Iran's 7th Solar Power Plants Conference stated that the development of solar power plants has accelerated and this trend will continue for the coming years. He predicted that the trend of interest in developing solar power plants will continue to accelerate over the next four years.

In an interview with IRNA's economic reporter, Mehdi Goodarzi noted that, in addition to major investors, the number of applicants for installing solar and renewable power plants is also increasing.

He added that the development of these types of power plants gained more momentum last year due to the electricity imbalance and has continued this year in line with adopted policies.

He further stated that, given the country's approach to renewable development and the policies of the Seventh National Development Plan in this area, it was essential to examine the technical and economic dimensions of these power plants in the country. Therefore, the 7th Solar Power Plants Conference is being held, considering the role of renewable development in addressing the imbalance.

The Executive Secretary of Iran's 7th Solar Power Plants Conference recalled that since last year, with the advent of the 14th administration and the emergence of energy imbalance in the country, the development of renewables has received more attention than before with the aim of compensating for part of this imbalance. According to the latest statistics, the capacity of the country's renewable power plants has unprecedentedly increased to 2,550 megawatts.

Meanwhile, in order to develop renewable energy, enhance energy productivity, and support sustainable employment in rural areas, a joint cooperation memorandum was signed between the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (SATBA) and the Headquarters for the Development and Progress of 4040 Rural Clusters, in mid-November.

This memorandum was signed in line with the implementation of the general policies of the system and the provisions of the Seventh Development Plan law, aiming to maintain and attract the rural population, create local employment, strengthen the rural economy, and expand the use of clean and renewable energy nationwide.

Based on the terms of the memorandum, the parties committed to increasing renewable electricity generation capacity by up to 800 megawatts by constructing small-scale renewable power plants in the country's villages within the framework of SATBA's development models and by signing long-term guaranteed electricity purchase contracts with the private sector and people's cooperatives.

The duration of this memorandum is set for five years, and its extension or revision will be done by mutual agreement and based on laws.

According to the stipulated commitments, SATBA is obligated to support the private sector and people's cooperatives in constructing renewable power plants, undertake regional planning, introduce qualified contractors, provide technical standards, train operators, and exercise supreme supervision over the construction and operation of the power plants. Furthermore, SATBA is committed to signing 20-year guaranteed electricity purchase contracts, facilitating the connection of power plants to the grid, and making timely payments for invoices.

On the other hand, the Headquarters for the Development and Progress of 4040 Rural Clusters is tasked with creating coordination mechanisms among executive bodies, identifying local capacities, informing rural municipalities and cooperatives about the plans, and pursuing financing through agent banks to facilitate the implementation of renewable projects in the target areas.

MA