Maha to supply 100% green energy for irrigation by Mar

The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) says it is making a shift to purchasing solar power for agricultural pumps, which would ultimately benefit industrial consumers, who are cross-subsidizing irrigation for farmers.

- Saurabha Kulshreshtha

MUMBAI: This shift is expected to reduce the ₹13,500-crore cross-subsidy being shouldered by industrial consumers, and make industrial tariffs in Maharashtra competitive with those of Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Spelling out MSEDCL's plans for the power sector in Maharashtra, Lokesh Chandra, Managing Director of India's largest power distribution company, told HT that by March 2026, the entire demand for electricity to power agricultural pumps in the state would be met by solar power generation. To achieve this, contracts have been awarded to various companies under the Mukhyamantri Saur Krishi Vahini Yojana (MSKVY 2.0), with a capacity of 16,000 MW. This would make Maharashtra the first state to supply 100% green energy for irrigation. MSEDCL has submitted its tariff proposal to the Maharashtra State Electricity Regulatory Commission, said Chandra.