In case of private land, the government facilitates the acquisition. Finding a good site and getting clearance for it is a major hassle in the wind sector. So when the land is made available by the government, it simplifies the whole process. The state's policy, no doubt is simple and transparent," said Sunil Jain, managing director, Hero FutureEnergies.
Hero has 208 mw of wind and 50 mw of solar power project underway in the state. While there is a National Solar Mission at the central level, state policies on solar power are quite ambiguous, the only exception was Gujarat.
The Modi-ruled state was an early mover in the sector even before the PM announced the national solar mission. In 2010, Gujarat signed around 88 solar power purchase agreements with 75 developers for 25 years with tariff as high as Rs 12.54 per unit without competitive bidding. But Gujarat backtracked on the tariff last year as tariffs of new projects fell to half of Gujarat's rates, compelling the state to appeal to apex electricity regulator for revision in tariff.