Policymakers describe India’s transmission push in big numbers – kilometres of lines added, voltages upgraded, capital outlays committed. But the real test is whether the grid can reliably move clean electricity from generation points to consumption centres. These infrastructure investments should enable dependable power flows, not congestion or curtailment. A serious example is Rajasthan’s recent curtailment crisis, which shows why that expectation is not guaranteed.
At its core, the issue is whether transmission lines function as smooth evacuation corridors in actual operations. In Rajasthan, fully commissioned solar plants totalling over 4,000 megawatts (MW) have reportedly been asked to evacuate close to nothing during peak solar hours – precisely when these assets are built to generate at maximum output and are needed most. This is not routine trimming but a sharp, disruptive loss of operational projects’ ability to sell power.
Transmission runs on operating limits, so physical capacity rarely equals real-time load. Operators must maintain grid security under contingencies and manage constraints such as system strength, voltage instability, and thermal limits. Grid India has cited these issues in Rajasthan – problems at renewable pooling stations, low short-circuit ratios, and loading constraints on key corridors. Technically valid, perhaps, but it leaves a fundamental question: if India is investing heavily in transmission, why is so little usable capacity emerging?
After the 765 kV double-circuit Khetri–Narela corridor was commissioned, many expected curtailments to ease. Instead, the usable additional margin was only about 600 MW – all of it absorbed as projects moved on to permanent General Network Access (GNA), which defines how much power the inter-state transmission system commits for a power generator. Projects on temporary GNA were squeezed, with peak-hour evacuation tightening just when everyone expected relief. Rajasthan has around 23 GW of commissioned renewables, but usable evacuation stands at about 18.9 GW, pushing close to 4.3 GW into near-total curtailment during peak hours – a huge national waste.
This episode exposes a deeper structural flaw. The entire risk of system readiness sits with renewable energy developers. India has an ambitious target of 500 GW of non-fossil capacity and positions renewables as the backbone of its future energy system. Yet projects that come online “early” are penalised through curtailment, with no compensation for the lost revenue. Conversely, if a project is delayed, its connectivity can be revoked. The regulatory framework places asymmetric penalties on renewables, even as clean power is central to energy security.
This matters beyond Rajasthan – whether India’s transmission spending is helping clean power reach consumers or creating assets that deliver limited results.
First, it is a value-for-money issue. High-voltage lines cost thousands of crores so renewable power can move freely. If a massive line adds minimal usable transfer capacity, the system must explain what is holding back flows. The objective is not just creating infrastructure, but infrastructure that works.
Second, it creates financial risk. In Rajasthan alone, affected projects represent around Rs 20,000 crore of investment now exposed to sustained curtailment. When evacuation drops suddenly, revenues fall but fixed costs remain – loan repayments, O&M costs, and contractual commitments. If such shifts become normal, lenders will treat grid access as a structural risk, raising capital costs that ultimately burden not only developers, but also consumers, discoms, and the exchequer.
There is also an efficiency cost. Many curtailed plants have installed grid-support equipment – static VAR compensators and harmonic filters – specifically to strengthen system stability. When these generators are forced into prolonged shutdown-like conditions, those stabilising assets sit idle, despite huge costs incurred by renewable energy developers.
This raises a governance question: do we evaluate grid operators on how effectively they utilise transmission assets while maintaining security? Protecting the grid is essential, but optimising the use of public infrastructure is equally critical. India still lacks advanced operational tools, real-time controls, and incentive structures to extract maximum usable capacity from its networks.
Well-established technical solutions can ease these issues. Grid-forming inverters, STATCOMs, synchronous condensers, and advanced power electronics can improve system strength and voltage control in high renewable zones. These technologies are already deployed globally to stabilise grids with high shares of inverter-based generation. Combined with real-time dynamic security assessment and modern protection schemes, they allow safe operation without relying solely on conservative assumptions.
Much of India’s grid operation philosophy reflects an earlier era, where maintaining security through large safety margins was the primary tool. Globally, system operators have moved beyond this, using sophisticated forecasting, dynamic limits, and adaptive controls to assimilate renewables while maximising usable transmission capacity.
Critical policy questions demand answers: Why did the Khetri–Narela corridor add so little usable capacity? What is actually constraining flows? How will the system avoid scenarios where some projects gain permanent access while others lose evacuation overnight? What is the plan and timeline for restoring usable capacity so projects can plan realistically?
India’s next phase depends less on how fast new capacity is built and more on whether the grid can absorb and move the clean power already commissioned with efficiency. Fixing this now is as important as adding the next gigawatt.
(Dhanendra Kumar has been Executive Director at the World Bank and first chairman of the Competition Commission of India. He is currently chairman of Competition Advisory Services India LLP.)
Disclaimer: These are personal views of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of www.business-standard.com or the Business Standard newspaper 
 "Evacuating clean energy efficiently needs resolution of transmission blocks")
