India’s CERC proposes transmission charge relief for delayed renewable energy projects

In brief

India’s Central Electricity Regulatory Commission has proposed restoring interstate transmission charge waivers for solar, wind and hybrid projects whose commissioning was delayed because the required grid infrastructure was unavailable. The relief would apply to projects that secured power sale agreements lasting at least seven years by 31 December 2026. Battery energy storage systems developed alongside eligible renewable projects would receive the same transmission charge benefits for electricity supplied from storage. The proposal partly reverses India’s decision to phase out such waivers for new renewable projects from July 2025.

The measure comes as transmission expansion struggles to keep pace with India’s rapid renewable deployment, causing rising curtailment and forcing some newly commissioned capacity to rely on temporary grid-access arrangements. Around 107 GW of renewable projects with connectivity approvals are expected to join the interstate system between the 2027 and 2031 financial years. Supporting India’s longer-term clean-energy ambitions may require INR 5–6 trillion in transmission investment between FY2027 and FY2032, together with approximately 20,000 circuit kilometres of new lines and 120 GVA of substation capacity each year.

Source: PV Tech

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