GST favours coal power over solar generation: Study

Post GST, cost of thermal power generation dips 1.6%

The introduction of Goods & Services Tax (GST) has thrown a spanner in India's clean energy transition, implicitly favouring coal-fired power over solar photo voltaic (PV) generation and incentivising greater take up of coal based sources, a study shows.

The study commissioned by Canada based International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Council on Energy, Environment & Water (CEEW) says post the roll out of GST, the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for existing coal-based thermal power stations has fallen by one or two per cent, depending on the share of imported coal used. On the contrary, LCOE for solar