India’s federal transmission authority Central Transmission Utility of India Ltd (CTUIL) has cancelled transmission-connectivity permissions for roughly 6.3 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy projects since 2022. The move, confirmed by the Ministry of Power, India, stems from developers’ failure to meet mandated project commissioning deadlines.
A total of 24 project holders had their grid access revoked. Of these, 16 have challenged the decision before the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), attempting to retain connectivity.
While some developers have sought compensation for alleged losses due to delayed transmission infrastructure, the Ministry clarified that the revocations were strictly due to delays on the developers’ side – not shortcomings in the grid build-out.
These cancellations reflect a broader tightening of grid access norms. Earlier this year, nearly 17 GW of delayed renewable projects across major green-energy states such as Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh lost connectivity, affecting firms including Adani Green Energy, ReNew Power, NTPC, Avaada Group, JSW Energy and ACME Solar.
According to the Ministry, the revocations do not signal a failure in transmission-network planning. India already has about 259 GW of transmission capacity connected to the grid, with another 172 GW under construction and bidding underway for an additional 19 GW.
The federal government is also working with states to upgrade intra-state transmission infrastructure — aimed at accommodating an extra 152 GW of renewable energy projects — as part of the nation’s broader goal to reach 500 GW of non-fossil-fuel power capacity by 2030.
The latest revocations send a clear signal to developers: securing grid-connectivity permissions is no longer enough — timely commissioning is critical. As India races towards its clean-energy ambitions, reliable, real-time grid access is increasingly becoming a gatekeeper for project viability.
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