India's Green Energy Gridlock: Power Generated, But Nowhere to Go Published By Anupam Nath India's renewable energy revolution is accelerating, with solar and wind capacity surging past ambitious targets. Yet, a critical bottleneck threatens to derail this progress: grid evacuation. In Rajasthan, a renewable powerhouse, over 4 GW of commissioned solar capacity faces near-total curtailment during peak hours, wasting clean power that could light up millions of homes. The GNA Dilemma ExposedAt the core lies General Network Access (GNA), the framework governing interstate transmission rights. Permanent GNA offers priority access post-transmission buildout, while temporary GNA fills the gap using spare capacity. Rajasthan boasts 23 GW of renewables but only 18.9 GW usable evacuation, squeezing temporary users to zero output. Recent commissioning of the 765 kV Khetri-Narela line promised relief, yet added just 500-600 MW usable capacity—absorbed instantly by upgrades to permanent GNA. This leaves 4,300 MW idle, eroding investor confidence and hiking capital costs amid grid security constraints like voltage instability. Economic Waste and Investor ChillCurtailment isn't caution alone; it's inefficiency. High-voltage corridors, funded by consumers, underperform due to opaque operating margins. Nationally, 50 GW of renewables strand due to delays, speculative hoarding, and right-of-way issues, delaying India's 500 GW non-fossil goal. Developers face revenue losses up to Rs 250 crore in Rajasthan alone, with no compensation despite "must-run" status. This asymmetry penalizes early movers, stalling projects and questioning transmission's public value. Path Forward: Coordination and ClarityShort-term fixes include Special Protection Schemes (SPS) for safer high-capacity runs and rule-based sharing of unused permanent GNA. Medium-term demands interim frameworks signaling evacuation margins and timelines. Long-term success requires aligning renewable commissioning with transmission—via single-window clearances, performance incentives, and storage integration. Transparent decisions will unlock stranded assets, restoring bankability and fueling India's clean energy ascent.
