Maharashtra Plans Free Power For 1.5 Crore Small Consumers With Solar Push

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Energy Department is preparing a long-term plan to provide free electricity to nearly 1.5 crore small consumers over the next five years, primarily by scaling up rooftop solar adoption. As part of the initiative, the state is considering an expansion of its SMART (Swayampurn Maharashtra Awasiya Rooftop) scheme, which offers targeted subsidies to promote residential solar installations. The scheme focuses on households consuming up to 100 units of electricity per month, particularly those below the poverty line (BPL) and from economically weaker sections.

Under the programme, BPL consumers receive a subsidy of Rs 17,500, while economically weaker households in the general category are eligible for Rs 10,000. Beneficiaries from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes receive Rs 15,000. These incentives are in addition to the Centre’s Rs 30,000 subsidy under the PM-Surya Ghar scheme.

The state government has allocated Rs 655 crore for the scheme in the current financial year. Officials said the Energy Department also aims to reduce electricity tariffs by 2.5 per cent annually, while expanding solar adoption and lowering the subsidy burden over time.

Maharashtra has around 3.5 crore electricity consumers, of whom nearly 1.5 crore fall in the small consumer category. The state has set a target of covering five lakh households under the SMART scheme. “Although the deadline is March 2027, we expect to achieve this target by the end of this year,” a senior Energy Department official said.

In parallel, about 1,200 rooftop solar systems are being installed per day in the state under the Centre’s PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, which aims to increase residential solar capacity and enable households to generate their own electricity.

Officials noted that while the central scheme provides subsidies, the SMART scheme supplements this with additional state support to reduce electricity bills for low-consumption households. “We have made a provision of Rs 655 crore for five lakh consumers under SMART this year,” they said.

The department also indicated that tariffs will not be increased. Instead, it plans to reduce per-unit electricity rates by 2.5 per cent each year.

“We are preparing a long-term roadmap to deliver free electricity to small consumers by expanding rooftop solar,” the official said. The initiative is expected to reduce dependence on conventional power sources.

Officials added that the department’s budget has been reduced by Rs 2,500 crore this year due to these initiatives. “If implemented as planned, the initiative could become one of the largest state-led residential solar programmes in the country, with a significant impact on household energy costs and sustainability targets,” the official said.