Maharashtra has approved a major solar power deal of 1,600 megawatts (MW) to get cheaper and cleaner energy. 

Maharashtra has approved a major solar power deal of 1,600 megawatts (MW) to get cheaper and cleaner energy. 

January 5, 2026

The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) gave the go-ahead for the state power company to buy this solar power from projects run by NTPC Ltd, a big company in India. This move is meant to add a lot of clean energy and cut down electricity costs. MERC agreed with the solar power prices that came from a competitive bidding process.

The prices range between ₹2.66 and ₹2.72 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), and there’s also a permitted trading margin of ₹0.07 per kWh for a 25-year contract. The electricity purchased will help the power company meet its renewable energy goals. MSEDCL, the state’s electricity distribution company, proposed this after going through a tender process done by NTPC in 2023. They needed more solar power to meet higher renewable energy targets set by the state. Although MSEDCL has already signed contracts for over 25 GW of renewable energy, only about 10.4 GW is working right now, so they need more long-term deals. Four separate power sale agreements of 1,600 MW were made between MSEDCL and NTPC.

These are for solar projects developed by Anboto Solar, Apraava Energy, Avaada Suryapower, and JSW Renew Energy. MSEDCL said the agreed solar tariff is much lower than the average cost of buying power last year. MERC checked several things, including the amount of power to buy, the fairness of the tariff, the added trading margin, and how the solar energy would be used on the grid. They also looked at integrating storage solutions for extra energy. After looking everything over, the regulator approved the full proposal, letting MSEDCL move forward with the long-term solar plan at the agreed rates.