GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY. Odisha aims to utilise its wealth of water resources for developing floating solar projects
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Odisha is set to amend its land rules to allow 30-year leases for solar projects, removing a key hurdle that has slowed the State’s renewable energy expansion despite its ambitious clean energy plans, Vishal Kumar Dev, Additional Chief Secretary in charge of energy and IT, has said.The State added only about 150 MW of ground-mounted solar capacity last year, reflecting the twin challenges of limited land availability and an inflexible land leasing regime. Unlike Rajasthan and Gujarat, Odisha has little wasteland, with most land either under cultivation or classified as forest, Dev told businessline.A second constraint has been the State’s practice of leasing industrial land for 90 years, while solar developers typically require only around 30 years. The government is now in the process of revising the rules to permit 30-year leases for solar projects — a move expected to unlock fresh investment.“With the change in land lease rules, we expect significantly higher investment in solar,” Dev said.Even so, Odisha’s long-term renewable energy strategy is likely to be driven as much by water as land.Accounting for only about 3 per cent of India’s population but nearly 11 per cent of its water resources, the State estimates it has the potential to develop 33 GW of floating solar capacity. However, it is awaiting the Centre’s proposed floating solar policy, which officials expect will be announced shortly. The policy is likely to include incentives that reduce the cost differential between floating and ground-mounted solar projects.Dev said the combination of easier land access and policy support for floating solar would make Odisha a far more attractive destination for renewable energy developers.The State is also positioning itself as a hub for pumped storage projects, which are increasingly viewed as critical for integrating renewable energy into the grid. According to Dev, the government has identified 45 potential pumped storage sites, while private developers have already expressed interest in projects with a combined storage capacity of about 11 GWh.The State’s renewable energy policy envisages support for solar, floating solar, pumped storage and other clean energy technologies as part of its strategy to accelerate investment in the sector.Published on August 6, 2026
