India's renewable push hits grid limits as transmission curbs waste clean power

September 23, 2026 at 04:02 AM1 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

India's renewable energy capacity reached 300GW, or 54% of its 552GW total installed capacity, five years ahead of schedule. Transmission constraints caused nearly two-thirds of renewable curtailment in the first quarter of 2026, wasting 300GWh of clean power. The grid build-out has lagged generation, with one in four inter-state transmission projects delayed over a year.

Key Facts

Renewables now account for 300GW, or 54%, of India's total 552GW installed power capacity.
In the first quarter of 2026, transmission constraints caused nearly two-thirds of renewable energy curtailment, totaling 300GWh.
One in four inter-state transmission projects faces delays of over a year.
On a hot July afternoon, renewable energy briefly met over half of India's peak power demand for only the second time.

Grid Bottleneck

The renewables build-out has significantly outpaced transmission infrastructure, a major concern for policymakers. In the first quarter of 2026, transmission constraints accounted for nearly two-thirds of all renewable energy curtailment at 300GWh, according to Ember. One out of four inter-state transmission projects faces delays of over a year. Sumant Sinha, CEO of ReNew Power, said generation projects can be built in 18-24 months, while transmission takes much longer due to right-of-way, land acquisition, approvals, and coordination across agencies.

Planning Failures

Vibhuti Garg of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis blamed poor planning for the grid's inability to absorb new capacity. The grid was able to absorb new capacity as long as India was generating 10-15GW annually, Garg told the BBC. Coal-based power plants still generate 70% of India's electricity on average because they run on a higher load factor than solar or wind.