16 January 2026 at 10:43 pm IST
India’s renewable energy industry has raised strong objections to a proposed regulatory change by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) that would allow grid connectivity to be withdrawn from clean energy projects facing delays. The proposal targets projects that fail to sign long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) within a prescribed timeframe, even if construction or commissioning is still underway. Industry bodies argue that such delays are often outside developers’ control, citing slow decision-making by state power distribution companies, transmission bottlenecks, land acquisition issues, and delays in equipment supply. They warn that revoking grid connectivity could lead to significant financial losses, discourage investment, and disproportionately impact smaller and mid-sized developers. The sector has also flagged that the current 18-month deadline for completing renewable projects is impractical, given ongoing challenges in supply chains and infrastructure readiness. Developers have urged regulators to extend timelines to 24–30 months to better reflect on-ground realities and avoid project cancellations. Industry representatives further cautioned that reallocating freed-up grid capacity through fresh auctions could increase power tariffs and undermine India’s clean energy affordability goals. Instead, they are calling for improved coordination between regulators and government ministries, including the Ministry of Power and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, to accelerate PPA approvals and transmission planning. The debate comes at a critical time as India works towards its national target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, with project execution delays and grid readiness emerging as key risks to meeting these climate and energy transition goals.
