As a general rule, the following steps needs to be done in order to obtain authorization for a plant project. Each of these steps may involve several procedures, and some steps and procedures may run in parallel.

• Site acquisition and land-use rights (for example consent from planning authority)
• Natural resource permits and environmental approvals
• Grid-connection agreement (for on-grid projects). It may be necessary to ensure compliance with the national energy strategy or sector master plan (affecting generation and transmission)
• Power purchase agreement for offtake by a single buyer (usually the utility) or third parties
• Technology-specific clearances, for example approvals from aviation authorities for wind projects
• Procedures to qualify for subsidies or other forms of public support. These may involve registering as a “qualified/privileged/ special” generator and in certain cases complying with local content requirements
• Construction permits and authorizations, including approval of project design by a public authority; safety-related clearances from planning, sanitary, emergency, fire, and other authorities; and certification of the equipment used to build and operate plants—all prior to commissioning the plant
• Licenses or other approvals required to generate electricity and for certification of electricity generated from certain sources.