Metro's Solar Dream Set to Take Off as MERC Orders MSEDCL to Clear Hurdles
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Nagpur: After being stuck in limbo for over a year, Nagpur Metro's ambitious solar energy expansion is finally gaining momentum. The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has directed Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) to update its outdated application system, which was capping net metering approvals at 1MW, despite new regulations allowing up to 5MW.
The order is expected to clear the path for commissioning long-idle solar panels and restarting stalled installations across the Metro network.
At the centre of the delay is 1.5MW solar capacity installed at Mihan and Hingna depots. The panels, installed over a year ago, remained idle due to Metro's inability to apply for net metering beyond 1MW. This resulted in MahaMetro being forced to rely on costlier grid electricity, incurring monthly losses of Rs12 lakh — amounting to more than Rs1.4 crore annually.
During a hearing on July 9, MERC took note of MahaMetro's petition and ordered MSEDCL to operationalise a compliant web-based portal within a month. It also asked the power utility to file its reply within 15 days. With this directive, Metro officials say they are finally in a position to move forward. But the delay did more than just sideline 1.5MW worth of solar power — it effectively froze Metro's entire solar rollout.
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Sources within MahaMetro revealed that once the depot panels were left unused, the agency decided to halt all further solar installations to avoid wasting additional infrastructure. Currently, only Reach 1 (Sitabuldi to Khapri) and Reach 3 (Sitabuldi to Lokmanya Nagar) have solar panels installed across all stations. Reach 2 (Sitabuldi to Automotive Square) has no panels at any station. On Reach 4 (Sitabuldi to Prajapati Nagar), only three stations — Vaishnodevi Square, Dr Ambedkar Square, and Telephone Exchange Square — have solar installations.
"We couldn't justify spending more money on solar panels that would just lie there unused like the ones at the depots," said a senior MahaMetro official. "But now, with MERC's directive, we're finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel. We plan to resume installations across the remaining stations immediately."
The Metro set a target of meeting 50% of its power needs through solar, but due to the regulatory deadlock, it only reached around 15%.
With the bottleneck removed, officials believe they can move quickly to bridge the gap. The full rollout is expected to bring monthly energy savings of up to Rs45 lakh in the beginning and more in the future, significantly easing the project's operational costs.
A senior MSEDCL official said they will comply with MERC's directives and follow them to the letter. "However, we will also need to assess the implementation from our end to ensure it aligns across all operational segments. If any issues arise, we will raise them with MERC for further clarification," the official added.
With clear instructions now issued and a timeline in place, Metro's long-postponed solar ambitions may finally become a reality — delivering financial relief and a boost to Nagpur's green energy credentials.
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