Transforming Urban Waste into Sustainable Power: The Case for Section 63 Guidelines for Waste-to-Electricity (WtE) Procurement in India

India’s rapidly expanding urban population has led to a sharp increase in municipal solid waste generation, creating major challenges for urban governance, environmental protection, and public health. Existing disposal practices such as landfilling and open dumping are increasingly unsustainable because they consume scarce land, generate greenhouse gases, and impose long-term environmental costs. Wasteto- energy offers a partial solution by converting the residual fraction of municipal waste into electricity, while also reducing landfill dependency. However, the sector in India has struggled due to poor waste segregation, uncertain feedstock supply, high capital costs, and fragmented procurement practices. This paper argues that a dedicated procurement framework under Section 63 of the Electricity Act, 2003 is necessary to improve transparency, standardisation, and bankability in waste-to-electricity projects. It examines disposal methods, the role of waste-to-energy, existing government support, the current plant landscape, and the legal and commercial case for tariff-based bidding. The paper concludes that Section 63 guidelines can create a more reliable and scalable framework for sustainable waste-to-energy deployment in India.