Jaipur, July 9 -- Rajasthan on Wednesday became the first state to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the International Solar Alliance (ISA) on "Framework for Action - Advanced Clean Energy Driven Sustainable Development", which chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma said would accelerate the state's transition to renewable energy. The ISA, a coalition of 128 countries, signed the agreement at the Chief Minister's residence in the presence of Sharma.The framework was signed by energy secretary Aarti Dogra and ISA director general Ashish Khanna on behalf of the Rajasthan government and the ISA, respectively.Addressing the event, Sharma said the agreement symbolises Rajasthan's emergence as a leading global centre for solar energy. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with making India a global leader in climate action and said the ISA was the result of the Prime Minister's vision to transform solar energy into a worldwide movement. Officials said the agreement will pave the way for preparing an Energy Transition Plan for 2030-35. The plan will cover renewable energy expansion, strengthening of transmission and distribution infrastructure, grid modernisation, energy storage, energy efficiency, demand management, identification of investment-ready projects, energy modelling, institutional capacity building and policy reforms. The chief minister said the framework would accelerate Rajasthan's transition from conventional sources of energy to renewable energy through a comprehensive plan for expanding solar power generation, strengthening transmission and distribution infrastructure, and improving the quality and reliability of electricity supply. Sharma said Rajasthan's geographical advantages have made it India's leading renewable energy state. He said the state currently has more than 22 GW of installed solar power capacity, the highest in the country, while its total clean energy capacity has reached nearly 44 GW. He added that the Rajasthan Integrated Clean Energy Policy has set a target of developing 125 GW of clean energy capacity. The state has also initiated battery energy storage projects and introduced policies to facilitate greater integration of solar energy into the power grid. Highlighting the significance of the agreement, Sharma said it would support the integration, transmission, storage and efficient utilisation of clean energy. As the share of solar power in the electricity grid increases, he said, the state will strengthen its power system through energy storage, demand-side management, digitalisation and smart grid technologies. He said the government is taking concrete steps to strengthen the transmission and distribution network, enhance grid capacity, ensure better integration of renewable energy and provide quality electricity to consumers. DG Ashish Khanna said Rajasthan is the first state with which the alliance has signed such a framework. He said the state's renewable energy policies have helped it emerge as one of India's leading solar power producers, while India has become the world's second-largest country in solar energy growth. The framework also includes AI-enabled digitalisation of the power sector. A Digital Twin technology-based pilot project will be launched in the Ajmer power distribution company....