Parliament Question: Wind energy initiatives in Maharashtra

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3669 ANSWERED ON 24.03.2026 WIND ENERGY INITIATIVES IN MAHARASHTRA 3669. SHRI DHANANJAY BHIMRAO MAHADIK Will the Minister of NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY be pleased to state: (a) details of wind energy initiatives in Maharashtra over the last five years, the installed capacity added and the new wind power projects or parks approved or commissioned in the State; (b) the steps being taken to attract private investment, improve infrastructure and integrate wind energy with the State's electricity grid; and (c) the manner in which Ministry is supporting research, training and technological innovation in wind energy and the measures being implemented to ensure sustainable development, environmental compliance and community participation in Maharashtra's wind energy sector? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND POWER (SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK) (a) & (b) The Government has taken several initiatives to promote renewable energy projects including wind energy over the last five years in the country including Maharashtra. The details are placed as Annexure. Further, the wind capacity installed in the State of Maharashtra during last five years are as under; Financial Wind Capacity installed (in Cumulative Wind Capacity (in Year MW) MW) 2021-22 12.5 5012.83 2022-23 0 5012.83 2023-24 195.15 5207.98 2024-25 76.63 5284.61 2025-26 588.4 5873.01 (till 28.02.2026) Presently, there is no central financial assistance scheme for new wind power projects or parks. The development of such projects carried out by developers based on techno-economic assessment. (c) Government is implementing the Renewable Energy Research and Technology Development (RE-RTD) Programme for the period from FY 2021-22 to 2025–26 in order to promote indigenous technology & manufacturing development in the field of renewable energy. The programme is being implemented through various research institutions, academic organisations and industry partners to develop efficient, reliable and cost-effective renewable energy systems, including wind energy technologies.Further, Government has launched Vayumitra Skill Development Programme (VSDP) for creating skilled and trained manpower for wind power projects. As on 28.02.2026, about 2559 number of candidates were trained in the country under VSDP. A total 1140 number of candidates have been trained in the state of Maharashtra. In order to ensure sustainable development of wind energy projects in the country, Ministry has issued ‘Guidelines for development of onshore wind power projects’ in 2016 and amended in 2024. Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) vide GSR 702 (E) dated 12.11.2024 considered wind power projects in the list of white category of sectors classified by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). *****Annexure Referred in reply of part (a) & (b) of Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3669 to be answered on 24.03.2026 Government has taken several initiatives to promote renewable energy projects in the country including Maharashtra. These, inter alia, include; • Laying of new transmission lines and creating new sub-station capacity has been funded under the Green Energy Corridor Scheme for evacuation of renewable power. • Inter State Transmission System (ISTS) charges have been waived for inter-state sale of solar and wind power for projects commissioned by 30th June 2025 and to be commissioned thereafter with graded ISTS charges. • To augment transmission infrastructure needed for steep RE trajectory, transmission plan has been prepared till 2030. • Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has been permitted up to 100 percent under the automatic route. • To boost RE consumption, Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) followed by Renewable Consumption Obligation (RCO) trajectory has been notified till 2029-30. The RCO which is applicable to all designated consumers under the Energy Conservation Act 2001 will attract penalties on non-compliance. RCO also includes specified quantum of consumption from Decentralized Renewable Energy sources. • Revised Standard Bidding Guidelines for tariff based competitive bidding process for procurement of Power from Grid Connected Solar, Wind, Wind-Solar Hybrid and Firm & Dispatchable RE (FDRE) projects have been issued. • Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme for Offshore Wind Energy Projects have been launched. • Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020 has been issued for net-metering up to five hundred Kilowatt or up to the electrical sanctioned load, whichever is lower. • “National Repowering and Life Extension Policy for Wind Power Projects, 2023” has been issued. • The Offshore Wind Energy Lease Rules, 2023 have been notified vide Ministry of External Affairs notification dated 19th December 2023, to regulate the grant of lease of offshore areas for development of offshore wind energy projects. • The Revised Guidelines for installation of prototype wind turbine models was issued on 12th June 2025. • Procedure for inclusion/updating Wind Turbine Model in the Revised List of Models and Manufacturers of Wind Turbines (RLMM) was issued on 31st July 2025. The amendment renames RLMM as Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM (Wind)) and mandates usage of listed components such as Blade, Tower, Generator, Gearbox and Special Bearings (Main, Pitch and Yaw Bearing) along with mandatory relocation of data centres within India and prohibition of real-time data transfer outside India. • The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for ALMM-Wind and ALMM-WTC was issued on 29th October 2025, detailing the end-to-end process for application, verification, factory inspection, component evaluation and model enlistment. • “The Electricity (Late Payment Surcharge and related matters) Rules (LPS rules) have been notified. • Electricity (Promoting Renewable Energy Through Green Energy Open Access) Rules, 2022, has been notified on 06th June 2022 with objective of ensuring access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable green energy for all. Green Energy Open Access is allowed to any consumer with contract demand of 100 kW or above through single or multiple single connection aggregating Hundred kW or more located in same electricity division of a distribution licensee. • Green Term Ahead Market (GTAM) has been launched to facilitate sale of Renewable Energy Power through exchanges. • Government has issued orders that power shall be dispatched against Letter of Credit (LC) or advance payment to ensure timely payment by distribution licensees to RE generators. In addition, Govt of Maharashtra has taken several several initiatives to promote renewable energy in the State. These, inter alia, include; • Notified the Maharashtra Renewable Energy Policy-2020 on 31st December 2020 to promote renewable energy projects including wind energy providing incentives such as exemption of Electricity Duty (ED) for captive wind projects and Non-Agricultural (NA) tax for land used for wind power projects • A Single Window Portal for Renewable Energy Projects has been established for smooth, transparent and time-bound registration and approval process across Maharashtra.