Tamil Nadu to set up five renewable energy zones for faster project clearances

The Tamil Nadu government has proposed to establish five new renewable energy zones in the state to ensure transparent administration and prompt delivery of services, Minister C T R Nirmal Kumar said on Friday.

This would also help accelerate the implementation of battery energy storage system projects and solar projects such as PM-KUSUM and the PM Rooftop Solar scheme, and further strengthen green energy development initiatives, he said.

“These renewable energy zones will be created in Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Coimbatore and Madurai as part of the administrative restructuring of the Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation Limited, to ensure fast delivery of services. Besides, it will strengthen the state government’s green energy programmes,” Kumar said in a statement.

The Tamil Nadu government aims to increase green power generation by 2030, the minister for Energy Resources added.

The administrative restructuring of the Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation Limited is being taken up as per the directive of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, in furtherance of the government’s objective of providing clean, honest, innovative and people-friendly governance, he said.

The existing administrative set-up of the Non-Conventional Energy Sources (NCES) offices in Udumalpet and Tirunelveli would be dissolved and restructured to aid in quick approvals of new renewable energy projects, repowering of existing projects, conducting technical studies and providing investors with transparent single-window services, the release said.

A separate project implementation and monitoring centre has been created in Chennai to strengthen the operations of the five renewable energy zones.