India loses 300 GWh renewable energy in 2026 first quarter due to transmission delays

India’s rapid renewable energy expansion is beginning to outpace the transmission infrastructure needed to carry electricity to consumers, resulting in 300 gigawatt hours (GWh) of renewable energy curtailment in the first quarter of 2026, according to a new analysis.

The report, Transmission gaps are beginning to constrain India’s rapid renewables integration, by Ember, found that transmission constraints accounted for nearly two thirds of the total 470 GWh renewable energy curtailment recorded across India’s inter state transmission system between January and March 2026.

India has achieved only about 80 per cent of its annual transmission buildout targets over the past five years, creating a growing backlog of delayed projects even as solar and wind additions accelerate.

The analysts warned that the widening gap between renewable energy deployment and grid readiness could become a major obstacle to India’s target of 500 gigawatts (GW) of non fossil electricity capacity by 2030.

“India’s renewable energy curtailment arising from transmission constraints is beginning to reach materially significant levels,” said Duttatreya Das, energy analyst, Asia at Ember. “Much of this stems from the growing mismatch between the pace of renewable energy deployment and the readiness of transmission infrastructure.”

The report estimated that around 20 GW out of 45 GW of renewable energy projects expected in FY26-27 could face connectivity delays exceeding four months. Rajasthan alone accounts for more than 12 GW of solar and wind projects facing such delays, while another 8 GW in the western and southern regions could also be affected.

According to the analysis, one in four inter-state transmission system schemes nationwide is delayed by at least a year. The eastern and north eastern regions face the worst execution challenges, with 50 per cent of projects likely to be delayed by a year or more.

The report identified land acquisition disputes, right of way issues, forest clearances and a limited global supplier base for high voltage direct current equipment as the key causes of transmission delays.

India’s transmission network currently spans about 503,661 circuit kilometres. The latest National Transmission Plan aims to expand this to 648,190 circuit kilometres by FY31-32, requiring annual additions of roughly 24,000 circuit kilometres.

The report noted that renewable energy projects are being developed much faster than transmission infrastructure. While thermal power plants typically take 36 to 60 months to come online, solar and wind projects are often completed within 12 to 18 months.

The concentration of renewable energy capacity in Rajasthan and Gujarat is also increasing congestion at key pooling stations. As of March 2026, India had 43.7 GW of solar and 12.5 GW of wind capacity connected to the inter state transmission system.

The study estimated that renewable energy losses caused by transmission constraints in the northern and western regions amounted to about 1.5-2 per cent of potential generation during the quarter.

On March 30, 2026 alone, India lost around 34 GWh of renewable electricity because of insufficient transmission margins, equivalent to the daily electricity consumption of about 5 million middle class urban households, the report said.

It argued that battery energy storage systems could provide a near-term solution to ease congestion. It estimated that 3-4 GW of two-hour battery storage could absorb most curtailed renewable energy, while around 236 GW of battery connectivity headroom is already available at major renewable pooling stations.

Regulatory reforms are needed to unlock battery deployment as a transmission support service, according to Ember experts. Proposed measures include allowing battery storage to function as a transmission asset and creating a government backed intermediary to aggregate power from projects operating under temporary grid access.

The economics are increasingly favourable, according to the report. It estimated the combined delivered cost of stored renewable power at Rs 7-8 per kilowatt hour (kwh), below the Rs 9-10 per kwh many states currently pay for peak power procurement.