Maharashtra Panel to Study Rooftop Solar Duty

Thane, Apr 30 (PTI) The Thane Small Scale Industries Association (TSSIA) on Thursday said the Maharashtra government has set up a committee to study applicability of electricity duty on Rooftop Solar (RTS) consumers and implementation of 'Grid Support Charges' (GSC) based on its formal representation on the issue.

Grid Support Charges are an "unnecessary additional burden" that could derail Maharashtra's solar mission, the TSSIA said, adding it made a formal representation on the issue to the state government on April 18.


Many industrial consumers may hesitate to make large-scale investments in rooftop solar energy if they are required to pay significant GSC per unit, TSSIA president Sandeep Parikh and honorary general secretary Bhavesh Maru stated.

The committee, chaired by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) Director (Commercial) Yogesh Gadkari, will review whether electricity duty should apply to self-consumption and net metering and will recommend duty structures for GSCs recently approved by Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC), a TSSIA release said.