New Delhi: India’s clean energy push is now testing the country’s ability to connect and commercialize projects. State-owned Central Transmission Utility of India Ltd (CTUIL) has canceled transmission connectivity approval for 6.3 GW of green energy capacity due to delays in project development, Union Power Minister Shripad Naik said on Monday.
In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said there are 16 petitions pending before the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) relating to cases where power producers have approached the regulator seeking protection against disconnection.
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“From 2022, Central Transmission Utility of India Ltd (CTUIL) has canceled connectivity to 24 grantees with a renewable energy (RE) capacity of 6,343 MW. The cancellations are due to developer delays, not transmission-side delays,” the minister said.
The Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) to evacuate 172 GW of renewable energy is already under construction and bids for 19 GW capacity are underway, he added. The Center is also working with states to ensure timely development of relevant national transmission systems to evacuate 152 GW of renewable energy.
“These efforts, together with the planned transmission systems for the integration of hydro, nuclear and other non-fossil capacity, together provide a clear implementation plan for achieving the target of 500 GW of non-fossil capacity,” the minister said.
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The announcement comes at a time when the renewable energy sector has been hit by curtailment of electricity production and a build-up of unsigned power purchase agreements.
Mint had earlier reported that solar power producers in Rajasthan had cut production after a congested grid prompted the regional regulator to intervene.
In total, almost 44 GW of renewable energy has yet to find a buyer and power purchase contracts have not been signed.
The addition of transmission space is lagging behind due to issues such as land acquisition and right of way (RoW). 8,830 circuit kilometers (ckm) were added in FY25, down nearly 38% from the 14,203 ckm added in FY24, Central Electricity Authority (CEA) data shows. Overall, India has a power transmission network of 495,405 ckm and according to the National Electricity Plan, an additional 191,000 ckm of transmission lines would be required by FY32.
These issues are serious, as longer delays threaten to slow India’s plan to add 50 GW of renewable capacity each year to reach 500 GW by 2030. Recently, the Center ordered state electricity contracting authorities to cancel awarded contracts where power sale and purchase agreements cannot be signed.
Mint had earlier reported that the Department of Power has asked renewable energy implementation agencies to cancel projects for which power supply and purchase agreements have not been signed. The Department of Energy said on November 4 that any cancellation would be phased in only after all viable options for implementing power purchase and sale pacts had been fully explored.
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A report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy tabled in Parliament on Monday showed that as of June 30, 2025, of the total installed capacity of 485 GW, around 243 GW came from non-fossil sources, representing about 50% of the total installed capacity.
Highlighting challenges in the green energy space, however, the report said the committee noted “several challenges in implementing renewable energy projects (including solar), such as delays in land acquisition and connection approvals, as well as lack of storage facilities and domestic generation”.
The panel said it expects the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and other stakeholders to “diligently monitor the planned path to remove the above-mentioned constraints and achieve the targets on time”.
