Tension Lines, Roads and Generators

13 November 2006
Maharashtra, India

The private companies operating on the site sell electricity to Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) at Rs 3.16 per unit while they consume electricity provided by MSEB at a concessional rate of Rs 1.20 per unit. In 2006, Suzlon was investigated by the Indian tax authorities and found to have made false depreciation claims on wind farm equipment to evade taxes, totalling between Rs 700- 1,000 crore (around US$ 200 million).

In the case of Satara, second only to Tamil Nadu in terms of installed capacity, it is estimated that the region could produce up to 3,650 megawatts in 28 feasible sites. The plant load factor (PLF) for wind turbines, or what the turbines actually produce, in India averages 20 per cent, which is low compared to global averages. But what is worse, Maharashtra’s average has decreased over the years from 19 per cent in 2002-3 to a low of 11.7 per cent in 2007-8.

This suggests that the subsidies attached to building wind farms and greenwashing the effects of owning them are more sought after by the companies than the energy produced by them.

Local communities near the high plateau do not receive electricity from the generators. In fact, these lands were once common lands used mostly for animal grazing. Today, people from the local communities are not allowed on the lands and are criminalised if caught on the lands.