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Objections mount against proposed solar restrictions at MERC public hearing

"Restricting solar power use to this timeframe and preventing its utilisation at night is unreasonable. This regulation is unique to Maharashtra and is not imposed in any other state," Patil stated.

The aim of the scheme is to light up one crore households by providing up to 300 units of free electricity every month. (Express File)

Senior Congress leader Satej Patil on Thursday criticised the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited’s (MSEDCL) proposed changes to Time-of-Day (ToD) slots, which designate 9 AM to 5 PM as off-peak hours, impacting solar power usage.

“Restricting solar power use to this timeframe and preventing its utilisation at night is unreasonable. This regulation is unique to Maharashtra and is not imposed in any other state,” Patil stated.

During a public hearing at the College of Engineering Pune, Patil strongly opposed the move and urged the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) to reconsider it with fairness and empathy. “This proposal has not been welcomed by anyone,” he later told The Indian Express.

The hearing was presided over virtually by MERC Chairman Sanjay Kumar and members Anand Limaye and Surendra Biyani. Lokesh Chandra, Chairman and Managing Director, MSEDCL presented a multi-year tariff for the 2025-30 period that includes a revised ToD tariff structure and a revised methodology for billing of residential consumers with rooftop solar systems.

He highlighted the difficulties of setting up solar parks and noted that many industries have invested in large-scale solar projects spanning 100 acres to cut electricity costs. “The current proposal by MSEDCL is extremely unfair and discourages rooftop solar installations. This can further impact solar power generation,” he added.

While the state has initiated campaigns to electrify agricultural pump connections through solar energy, Patil raised the practical challenges in identifying suitable locations. Patil pointed out that setting up agricultural pumps near rivers requires proper land allocation and also demanded that accurate calculations are needed to determine power consumption by farmers from the power utility’s feeders. He alleged disparities in agricultural power distribution where electricity for agricultural pump consumers with 7.5 horsepower capacity is free.

“However those farmers and water supply societies with pumps above 7.5 horsepower do not get a waiver,” Patil added.

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Samir Gandhi, Treasurer with the Maharashtra Solar Manufacturers Association (MASMA) also came down heavily on the proposed move to revise ToD tariff structure. “This is a breach of trust. People have invested in rooftop solar plants, taken loans so that they can cut their electricity cost and generate solar energy. However MSEDCL proposes a restriction on night time use of solar energy and applies standard rates for utilising power. This is incredibly unfair—like changing the rules in the middle of the game.” he lashed out.

Gandhi also told The Indian Express that MASMA was one of the oldest associations with 1500 members and across the state there were several consumers who had indicated interest in rooftop solar installations. With this proposed move, manufacturers have no other option but to put on hold other projects related to rooftop solar installations,” he said.

Vivek Velankar, President, Sajag Nagrik Manch further took on the MSEDCL by stating that this move to revise the ToD slots would jeopardise the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli (Free Electricity) scheme in Maharashtra. The aim of the scheme is to light up one crore households by providing up to 300 units of free electricity every month. “Maharashtra aims to reach out to 25 lakh homes but as part of this proposed move, I am not sure whether 25K will be interested,” Velankar claimed.

He also raised the issue of power cuts during the months of October and November last year. Data shows that across Maharashtra in October last year power supply was disrupted 1.07 lakh times and 1.04 lakh times in November. “Why is there such poor repair and maintenance work despite sufficient funds allocated to the power utility,” Velankar said.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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