Chhattisgarh Can Unlock 151 GW of Renewable Energy by largely utilising Water Bodies, Mine Land, and Wastelands- iFOREST Study
· iFOREST’s latest assessment pegs Chhattisgarh’s renewable energy potential at 151 GW—over eight times the MNRE estimate of 18.5 GW
• Over 25% of the renewable energy potential can be realised by utilising the large and small water bodies in the state in the coming years.
• Repurposing mining land also offers a very significant opportunity in the coming years, considering that over 9,800 hectares of land is available with closed opencast mines, and those that will reach end of their life in the next 10 years.
· Strong policies akin to Odisha, Jharkhand, and Assam can unlock investments, reduce coal dependence, and drive industrial decarbonisation
Raipur | 20 February 2026
The International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iFOREST) today released its comprehensive assessment during the Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Acceleration Dialogue at Sarovar Portico, Raipur, highlighting the vast potential of the state to scale up renewable energy using existing land and energy assets.
The Dialogue, led by Dr. Srestha Banerjee, Director, iFOREST, brought together officials from the state government, including the Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA), utilities, renewable developers, officials of South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), and sector experts.
“Chhattisgarh has very high renewable energy potential. However, with a large portion of the state falling under Fifth Schedule Areas due to a high tribal population, land procurement and diversion for large-scale renewable energy development is a difficult issue for the state. Therefore, Chhattisgarh needs to utilise land-neutral technologies such as floating solar, repurpose its mining land, and redevelop wastelands to support responsible renewable energy development,” said Srestha Banerjee, Director, iFOREST, while opening the Dialogue.
“Chhatisgarh State Power Generation Corporation Limited is working on policies to implement battery storage and pump storage projects to enhance energy efficiency and for enhancing round the clock power supply.” said Shri CL Netam, Executive Director CSPGCL during the dialogue.
The iFOREST assessment underscores Chhattisgarh’s total renewable energy potential of 151 GW, which includes over 41 GW in ground-mounted solar and 39 GW in floating solar.
The state has over 34000 water bodies with huge potential of floating solar, the opportunity lies across both perennial and non-perennial water bodies. The iFOREST assessment shows that about 46% of all water bodies are perennial, offering consistent water levels suitable for year-round floating solar deployment
A major opportunity for realising ground-mounted solar lies in utilising wastelands and repurposing mining land and legacy energy assets. Being one of India’s largest mining states, repurposing land available with closed and soon-to-be closed mines is a critical opportunity. The state has over 9,800 hectares of land with opencast mines, a significant part of which can be planned for repurposing and green energy investments in the next 10 years.
Chhattisgarh’s existing renewable energy capacity stands at 2,075 MW (8% of total installed capacity of 26,288 MW as of December 2025).
To realise this potential at speed and scale, iFOREST recommends adopting investor-friendly policies while emphasising incentives for land-neutral technologies, mining land repurposing, and ecosystem collaboration. Besides, the state should develop a dedicated state-level floating solar policy to unlock its vast 39.35 GW potential. This policy should:
• Recognise FSPV as a strategic, land-neutral renewable energy option that conserves water and supports livelihoods.
• Set a five-year capacity target of 2,000 MW, covering both large-scale and distributed projects.
• Ensure regulatory clarity, environmental and social safeguards, and financial incentives to attract investment.
The Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Acceleration Dialogue marks a decisive step in advancing policy alignment and developing project pipelines focused on mining land repurposing and water body utilisation, enabling Chhattisgarh to emerge as a clean energy leader in Eastern India while delivering environmental restoration, economic diversification, and social benefits for mining communities.
Contact:
Shweta Singh | Communication Associate
9691330473
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