The government has clarified that states are not obligated to provide free power for pumped storage projects, a stance that the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) argues contravenes industry norms.
The Indian Power Ministry has requested states to not impose a free power requirement on Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs), which contravenes the usual practice of allocating a percentage of generated electricity to the home state at no cost. This has been viewed by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as contrary to promoting the energy storage sector, crucial for ensuring round-the-clock power from renewable energy. The CII has released a report on “India’s Outlook on Clean Energy Storage: A Roadmap to Net Zero”, highlighting the potential for a 12-fold growth in the energy storage market by 2030, driven by flexibility, efficiency, and low operating costs. The report recommends measures such as VGF coverage, tax holiday, uniform GST reduction, and no double taxation on electricity duty and cross subsidy surcharge to facilitate large-scale deployment of energy storage systems. The Central Electricity Authority is reviewing 60 GW of storage projects, expected to be commissioned in the next six to eight years.
Source: https://www.cnbctv18.com/economy/govt-says-no-free-power-obligation-for-states-on-pumped-storage-projects-cii-says-stand-contravenes-norm-19512126.htm