India curtailed 300 GWh of renewable energy in Q1 2026 due to transmission constraints, according to a new repor from Ember.
From pv magazine India
Transmission constraints led to the loss of 300 GWh of clean electricity in India between January and March 2026, particularly across the northern and western regional grid pooling stations, according to an analysis by Ember. On March 30 alone, the country lost 34 GWh of clean generation, equivalent to the daily electricity use of around 5 million urban middle-class households.
Ember estimated total renewable energy curtailment at around 470 GWh in the first quarter of 2026, with nearly 300 GWh attributable to transmission constraints and the remaining 170 GWh linked to system inflexibility.
The northern region accounted for 178 GWh of curtailed power and the western region for 122 GWh. The southern region recorded no transmission-related curtailment, reflecting stronger synchronisation between generation growth and grid expansion.
“India’s renewable energy curtailment arising from transmission constraints is beginning to reach materially significant levels,” said Duttatreya Das, author of the report.
The report said the problem stems from a widening mismatch between the pace of renewable energy deployment and transmission infrastructure readiness. India has achieved only around 80% of its annual transmission targets over the past five years, while the interstate transmission system (ISTS) target for fiscal 2026-27 has risen to 25,146 circuit kilometres (ckm). One in four major transmission schemes is already delayed by at least a year, according to the report. As a result, around 20 GW of renewable energy capacity could face connectivity delays exceeding four months in fiscal 2026-27.
“Over time, the system will need to move away from generation-led transmission planning towards a model where generation and transmission are co-optimally planned and executed,” Das said.
The report explained the lost clean electricity could otherwise have reduced reliance on imported natural gas or freed up domestic gas supplies for higher-priority industrial uses, particularly as spot gas prices remain elevated.
As a short-term solution, Ember recommended deploying batteries for “transmission-as-a-service.” It said battery energy storage systems (BESS) could help bridge transmission gaps if supported by appropriate regulatory reforms.
“Battery storage at pooling stations is the fastest available fix to resolve transmission constraints,” Das said. “Roughly 3 GW to 4 GW of two-hour storage could have absorbed most of the curtailed generation, against 236 GW of plug-and-play BESS headroom already available at major pooling stations. The technical pieces are in place; the gap is regulatory and commercial.”
The report proposed two regulatory measures to support deployment. First, a government-backed intermediary entity could aggregate power from renewable energy projects operating under temporary general network access (T-GNA) and contract it to BESS developers, reducing contracting risks linked to fluctuating T-GNA participation.
Second, BESS could be procured as a transmission asset, with capacity payments shared across states in the same way as transmission charges. Ember said the combined delivered cost of storage and solar generation would range between INR 7 ($0.072)/kWh and INR 8/kWh, below the INR 10/kWh that many states currently pay for peak power.
“Enabling such regulatory mechanisms could be among the fastest interventions for reducing transmission constraint-related renewable energy curtailment,” Das added.
The report also identified additional near-term measures to reduce grid congestion. These include harmonising curtailment compensation frameworks and improving transparency in intra-state connectivity procedures to encourage more intra-state renewable energy development and reduce pressure on ISTS corridors.
It also highlighted technical interventions such as dynamic line rating and reconductoring, which could increase the transfer capacity of existing transmission lines and defer the need for new infrastructure projects.
