{"id":82006,"date":"2026-08-20T19:07:03","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T13:37:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=82006"},"modified":"2026-08-20T19:07:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T13:37:23","slug":"transmission-constraints-renewable-energy-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/20-08-2026\/transmission-constraints-renewable-energy-india","title":{"rendered":"Transmission Constraints Threaten to Curb India\u2019s Renewable Energy Expansion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Renewable Energy\/Infrastructure<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Insufficient transmission lines <\/strong>have emerged as a <strong>major obstacle to India\u2019s rapid expansion of renewable energy capacity.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Close to 21 gigawatts (GW),<\/strong> that is about<strong> 9% of the country\u2019s installed renewable energy capacity, <\/strong>is currently transferred from plants through <strong>temporary grid connections<\/strong> while awaiting dedicated transmission infrastructure.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Of this, around <strong>12 GW faces restrictions on \u201cpower evacuation\u201d <\/strong>during periods of peak solar generation.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Power evacuation<\/strong> is the process of<strong> transferring electricity generated at a power plant to the consumption point.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>During the financial year 2025-26 (FY26),<\/strong> around 6,900 gigawatt-hour (GWh) of clean electricity faced restrictions due to a <strong>mismatch between the rapid pace of renewable energy deployment and commissioning of associated transmission infrastructure.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Industry executives also cautioned that<strong> these projects could turn into non-performing assets (NPAs) if the government doesn\u2019t address the issue.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Electricity Transmission<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Electricity generated at a power plant<strong> has to travel through transmission lines <\/strong>before reaching distribution networks and ultimately consumers.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The basic chain is: <\/strong>From Renewable Energy Project to Transmission Network to Distribution Network and ultimately to Consumers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India&#8217;s solar and wind capacity has expanded rapidly, <\/strong>but transmission infrastructure in some renewable-rich regions has not kept pace.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This is particularly important because<strong> India&#8217;s major renewable-energy resources are concentrated in specific regions.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Electricity generated in these regions may <strong>have to travel hundreds or thousands of kilometres<\/strong> to reach major demand centres.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Current Infrastructure for Grid Transmission<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>General Network Access (GNA) Framework: <\/strong>It is a temporary arrangement that allows renewable energy plants to use whatever spare transmission capacity is available while they wait for their permanent transmission connection.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>T-GNA projects, however, can schedule power <strong>only if spare transmission capacity is available.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Concerns:<\/strong> During periods of network congestion, long-term GNA projects receive priority, often resulting in curtailment of generation from T-GNA-connected plants.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The curtailment faced by these projects are<strong> as high as 70-80%\u00a0 of their generating capacity, <\/strong>posing serious concern on project viability and debt servicing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When the <strong>grid cannot accommodate all the electricity being generated, <\/strong>power generation may have to be deliberately reduced. T<strong>his is known as power curtailment.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why are Transmission Projects Taking Time?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Transmission infrastructure is <strong>more complicated and time-consuming to develop <\/strong>than generation capacity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Major challenges include:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Land acquisition and Right of Way (RoW) issues.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Obtaining environmental and other statutory clearances.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Delays in construction of transmission lines and substations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Procurement of specialised equipment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Coordination between renewable-energy developers, transmission companies and governments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mismatch between the commissioning dates of renewable projects and transmission infrastructure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This creates a situation where a renewable-energy project may be ready to generate electricity while <strong>its dedicated transmission system is still under construction.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Concerns:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Power Curtailment:<\/strong> Insufficient transmission capacity can force renewable-energy plants to reduce generation, resulting in wastage of clean electricity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Financial Stress:<\/strong> Curtailment reduces revenue for renewable-energy developers, making it difficult to service project debt and potentially discouraging future investment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Grid Stability:<\/strong> The intermittent nature of solar and wind power, combined with inadequate transmission and storage, can create challenges in maintaining grid stability and balancing electricity supply and demand.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Delay in Renewable Targets:<\/strong> Transmission bottlenecks can slow the effective utilisation of India&#8217;s rapidly expanding renewable capacity, potentially affecting the achievement of its 2030 clean-energy and climate targets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Government Initiatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Grid Integration Plan:<\/strong> India\u2019s grid is being reimagined through the \u20b92.4 lakh crore Transmission Plan for 500 GW, linking renewable-rich states with demand centres.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Government is prioritizing investment in transmission infrastructure through the<strong> Green Energy Corridors a<\/strong>nd new high-capacity transmission lines from Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Ladakh.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>While these projects are multi-year efforts, once operational they will <strong>unlock over 200 GW of new renewable capacity.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Vision till 2032:<\/strong> Government has already planned for building High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) corridors and boosting inter-regional transmission capacity from 120\u202fGW today to 143\u202fGW by 2027, and 168\u202fGW by 2032.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Incentives:<\/strong> Domestic manufacturing, incentivised through the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, Domestic Content Requirement, imposition of duties, and duty exemptions for capital equipment, is reducing import dependency.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE): <\/strong>Offers training programs, workshops, and research support for solar PV, solar thermal, and hybrid technologies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Capacity Building for State Nodal Agencies (SNAs):<\/strong> Training and technical support to state renewable energy agencies for project implementation, monitoring, and policy enforcement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Research &amp; Innovation Support:<\/strong> Funding for R&amp;D in battery storage, hybrid projects, offshore wind, and green hydrogen.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>International Cooperation &amp; Training Programs:<\/strong> Collaboration with IRENA, GIZ, and other global agencies for knowledge exchange.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Deployment of Smart Grid Technologies: <\/strong>Advanced grid support technologies are planned to enhance voltage stability, improve system strength, and support reliable integration of renewable energy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Over the past two years,<strong> policy attention has consciously shifted from pure capacity growth to system design.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These reforms mark a<strong> decisive step toward optimising transmission utilisation and fast-tracking stranded renewable projects, <\/strong>directly addressing one of the sector\u2019s core implementation challenges.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: IE<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong><br \/>\nContext<\/p>\n<p><\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">\n<p>Insufficient transmission lines have emerged as a major obstacle to India\u2019s rapid expansion of renewable energy capacity.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nAbout<\/p>\n<p><\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"\t>\n<p>Close to 21 gigawatts (GW), that is about 9% of the country\u2019s installed renewable energy capacity, is currently transferred from plants through temporary grid connections while awaiting dedicated transmission infrastructure.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">\n<p>Of this, around 12 GW faces restrictions on \u201cpower evacuation\u201d during periods of peak solar generation.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/20-08-2026\/transmission-constraints-renewable-energy-india \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-82006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82006","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82006"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82006\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82008,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82006\/revisions\/82008"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}