New Delhi: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has been seeking to be empowered for all matters relating to renewable energy (RE) under the Electricity Act, 2003, including large hydro projects currently administered by the Ministry of Power, and now a parliamentary panel has endorsed that demand.
In its 13th report, presented to the Lok Sabha and laid in the Rajya Sabha on August 6, the Standing Committee on Energy recorded that the ministry "has expressed its desire to be empowered in all aspects pertaining to renewable energy under the relevant provisions of the Electricity Act, 2003." The committee, chaired by Shrirang Appa Barne, recommended that "the Ministry should take up the matter regarding empowering the Ministry for the matters related to the renewable energy under the relevant provisions of the Electricity Act, 2003."
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The ministry argued that bringing every renewable source under one administrative roof would sharpen planning and coordination. The committee recorded its submission that "a unified administrative structure under MNRE for all renewable sources, including Large Hydro, would enable integrated policy formulation, holistic renewable energy planning, sectoral synergy across all renewable energy technologies and improved coordination in achieving national renewable energy and Net-Zero goals."
The committee backed the position. It said that as the nodal ministry for renewable energy, "MNRE should have more powers and authority to administer the planning, execution and evaluation of renewable energy projects so as to sustain India's renewable energy transition." It noted that "since 2019, capacities from Large Hydro projects are being considered under RE targets but the sector continues to be administered by the Ministry of Power," and held that "a unified authority for all renewable energy sources, including Large Hydro, would be better placed to generate the necessary synergy to achieve the national RE and Net-Zero goals."
The committee also pressed for a separate policy for off-grid and decentralised renewable energy (DRE). It recorded the ministry's view that "a separate policy for Off-grid RE applications would promote sustainable deployment in remote and rural areas, and provide regulatory clarity for decentralised renewable energy ecosystems in line with national clean energy objectives."
The panel put the scale of the gap on record, noting that "against the global average of around 40-45 percent, India's Off-grid and DRE (rooftop/small-scale) is only about 15 percent." It recommended that "a separate Off-grid RE policy may be formulated at the earliest to develop Off-grid and decentralised renewable energy in the country," saying such a policy would be beneficial in meeting the country's targets, especially in rural and remote areas.
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In reply, the ministry said it "is taking appropriate steps towards the need of empowering it for the matters related to the renewable energy under the relevant provisions of the Electricity Act, 2003 and the Energy Conservation Act, 2001." It said the matter "has been brought to the notice of concerned authorities in various forums on implementation of Renewable Energy Programme and achievement of 500 GW target by 2030 and Net-Zero by 2070," and that it would continue to take necessary steps as per procedure.
On the off-grid front, the ministry said that "though a separate policy has not been formulated, DRE applications are being taken up" under existing schemes, listing the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, PM-KUSUM, the New Solar Power Scheme for tribal and PVTG habitations under PM JANMAN and DAJGUA, and the National Bioenergy Programme. It said off-grid and decentralised applications provide energy access in rural and remote areas where grid connectivity is not techno-economically feasible or reliable, spanning uses from household lighting to solar pumps, street lights, power plants, dryers and cold storage.
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