The government of the Indian state Maharashtra is set to provide incentive for development of six renewable energy sources, The Times of India has reported.
Under the state’s new and renewable energy policy, the government is to provide sops for creation of 7.5 gigawatts of solar; 5 gigawatts of wind; 1 gigawatt of cogeneration using farm waste; 400 megawatts of small hydel; 300 megawatts of farm waste gasification; and 200 megawatts of inorganic industrial waste projects.
Currently Maharashtra is working toward achieving its target of 14.4 gigawatts of renewable energy development by 2020.
Some key features of the state’s new and renewable energy policy are as follows:
# Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) will declare separate open access (OA) regulations and cross subsidy surcharge for renewable energy
# If MSEDCL does not grant OA within time stipulated by MERC, the promoter will get deemed OA
# A committee headed by the state’s chief secretary will conduct mid-term review of policy
# Promoters that are party to power purchase agreements with MSEDCL and interested in selling power to other buyer can terminate the agreement
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# 10-year waiver on electricity duty for captive use of renewable energy
# No supervision charges for MSEDCL and Mahatransco to set up transmission infrastructure
# Rs1 crore Maharashtra Energy Development Agency (MEDA) grant for transmission network development
# Solar and wind projects eligible for industry status
# Land used for energy generation will be deemed non-agricultural use
# Wind and solar project development won’t require consent or no-objection certificates from Maharashtra Pollution Control Board
# MERC will give preferential tariff to solar and MSEDCL will give it priority for open access. MEDA will give land up to 4 hectare without auction.
# The policy identifies four modes of power sale from renewable sources: to MSEDCL and other distribution companies in the state to fulfill their renewable energy purchase obligation; captive use; direct third party sale; and selling power to the exchange through renewable energy certificate mechanism.
Ajith Kumar S