Govt cleared ₹38,849 cr projects in 2025 for renewable power evacuation
Centre approved ₹38,849 crore transmission projects in 2025 to evacuate renewable power, as grid expansion, smart metering and discom finances show improvement
 "Govt cleared ₹38,849 cr projects in 2025 for renewable power evacuation")
The government approved transmission projects worth ₹38,849 crore between January and November last year for evacuation of power from renewable energy projects, the power ministry said in a statement today.
India requires a transmission network with 335 gigawatt (GW) capacity for connecting 280 GW renewable energy projects in the future. Of this, 48 GW has been completed, 172 GW is under construction and 18.5 GW is under bidding, the ministry said in a statement detailing its achievements in 2025.
"Under Revamped Distribution Sector scheme for improving operational efficiency and financial sustainability of Discoms, 1,979 lakh prepaid Smart meters, and 2.05 lakh feeder meters have been sanctioned at a cost of ₹1,30,671 crore," the ministry said.
Since the implementation of the Electricity (Late Payment Surcharge and Related Matters) Rules, 2022, the legacy dues of distribution companies have come down from ₹1,39,947 crore in June 2022 to ₹8,005 crore now and 13 states have already paid ₹1,31,942 crore.
"The distribution companies are now largely paying their current dues on time, which marks a significant improvement in the sector’s financial health," the ministry said, adding that the country's per capita electricity consumption has grown 53 per cent from 957 Kilowatt Hour in 2013-14 to 1,460 Kilowatt Hour in 2024-25.
The ministry also said 13 GW of new coal-based power capacity had been awarded in 2025–26 so far, and 7.21 GW capacity has been commissioned, taking the total installed capacity of coal- and lignite-based thermal plants to 226.23 GW.
“An additional 40 GW capacity is under construction, with an expectation of 7 GW to be commissioned in 2025–26. A further 24.02 GW capacity is in various stages of planning, clearances and bidding,” the ministry said. In an update on the 700 megawatt Tato-II hydro electric project being developed in Arunachal Pradesh, the ministry said the project will be completed in 72 months at a cost of ₹8,146 crore.