Tamil Nadu Energy Resources Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar on Tuesday said that the TVK government is committed to ensuring a transparent and policy-driven environment for energy investors as it aims to revitalise the solar and wind energy sectors.
He said that a new standardised policy is set to be launched within a week to simplify project approvals and eliminate the influence of intermediaries.
The department was also prioritising load-flow studies and integration of battery-stored solar and wind power to stabilise the grid, he said.
The minister told reporters that private participation would be encouraged in power generation. But the core distribution would however remain under the control of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board.
"The government has initiated transparent meetings with energy sector investors to share its vision for the next 25-30 years and ensure better cooperation. The government plans to enable battery-stored solar and wind energy and efforts are on to analyse load-flow to optimise existing infrastructure and eliminate inefficiencies," he added.
Earlier, speaking at the 25th edition of Green Power 2026 in Chennai, the minister called for standardising renewable energy and power sector in the country to meet the increasing requirements for power in the next 20-30 years.
Realising that there were "gaps in policies and standardisation" in the sector, immediately after he took over as minister, he reviewed the existing policy relating to distribution, including solar power generation.
"We understood that overall India needs standardisation on this. So, it's high time for us to now standardise the whole renewable energy sector because a lot of people have invested and we don't have the transmission capacity to carry the load. Even Tamil Nadu could carry only around 15,000 megawatts power," the minister said.
Emphasising that sustainable growth cannot be achieved without standardisation, Kumar said that a long-term vision backed by a comprehensive policy framework is essential to meet the state's energy requirements over the next 20–30 years.
“Renewable energy is the future. States like Tamil Nadu, which enjoys nearly 300 sunny days a year along with strong wind resources, are well positioned to benefit significantly from this transition,” he said, adding that these natural advantages would support large-scale power generation.
Kumar noted that procedures for renewable energy projects are being streamlined through an online single-window clearance system. A dedicated coordination committee has also been established to bridge gaps between stakeholders and address project bottlenecks.
The government plans to set up a research and development unit and a Centre of Excellence to facilitate the adoption of emerging technologies, encourage collaboration with power generators, and support the addition of 10,000–15,000 MW of renewable energy capacity over the next four to five years.
The initial focus will be on solar and wind energy projects integrated with battery storage systems. Kumar further stated that all investments made since 1995 are being reviewed to enable repowering initiatives and attract new investments in the sector.
(With inputs from PTI)
