Karnataka and Gujarat have outpaced Maharashtra in the effective integration of renewable energy sources into their power sectors, making significant strides in decarbonization. Maharashtra, on the other hand, has fallen behind due to factors such as its low share in renewable energy consumption, according to a report released by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and Ember.
The report revealed that the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), the state’s primary electricity distributor, scored poorly in the rating, lowering the state’s overall score. Additionally, Maharashtra has only approximately 12% of its renewable energy installed capacity in the distributed solar energy category.
Despite these challenges, Maharashtra is a top performer in the ‘Market Enablers’ dimension, indicating that it is preparing for an accelerated transition toward electricity. It also has a green tariff rate of 66 paise per unit for electricity consumers.
Further, Maharashtra has a pumped hydro storage capacity of 440MW and has a pipeline of other storage tenders (round-the-clock, battery energy storage, and grid-scale storage) that are planned to be commissioned in the coming years. This demonstrates the state’s commitment to accelerating its electricity transition and leveraging storage solutions to integrate renewable energy more effectively.
