The government of the Indian state of Maharashtra plans to raise its renewable energy capacity addition target for 2020 from 14.4 gigawatts to 25 gigawatts.
According to the chief minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis, the revision is being considered based on the advice of the union minister for new and renewable energy.
He said the state was asked to reconsider the renewable energy policy it recently submitted before the cabinet as it was among the seven states with sizable solar potential, DNA has reported.
The 14.4 gigawatt capacity that Maharashtra had proposed in its renewable energy policy was composed of 7,500 MW from solar power; 5,000 MW from wind energy; 1,000MW from bagasse-based projects; 400 MW from hydropower projects with capacity of 5 megawatts or less; 300MW from industrial waste and 200 MW from biomass.
The previous policy that was in effect since 2008 had proposed capacity addition of only 2,500 MW, which is less than half the existing capacity of 6,155 MW of renewable energy in Maharashtra.
Fadnavis, however, said the state will not be developing the entire capacity or buying all the power generated under the revised target on its own.
The CM said the Centre has proposed to either buy the surplus that is to be generated or allow sale of power in the open market.
It is apparent that the central government is aggressively promoting renewable energy in its effort to achieve 175 gigawatt capacity addition by 2022.
Ajith Kumar S
editor@greentechlead.com