"Transmission bottlenecks threaten financial viability of India's renewable energy projects"
General Network Access (GNA)
long-term firm transmission evacuation rights granted to ISTS-connected renewable projects under CERC framework
Temporary General Network Access (T-GNA)
stopgap grid access for renewable plants awaiting dedicated transmission infrastructure; non-firm, curtailable
India's energy transition is anchored in an ambitious target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based electricity capacity by 2030, alongside commitments to reduce carbon intensity by 45% from 2005 levels and achieve net-zero emissions by 2070. Renewable energy — particularly solar — has expanded at a remarkable pace, with installed capacity crossing 200 GW. However, the physical infrastructure required to carry this electricity from generation sites to consumption centres has not kept pace. This mismatch between generation capacity and transmission capacity is a structural challenge rooted in the sequential nature of infrastructure planning: power plants can be built faster than high-voltage transmission corridors, which require land acquisition, environmental clearances, and complex engineering.
The regulatory framework governing grid access is administered by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) under the Electricity Act, 2003. The General Network Access (GNA) framework, introduced to streamline inter-state transmission, grants long-term firm evacuation rights to projects that have completed all commissioning requirements. A stopgap mechanism — Temporary General Network Access (T-GNA) — was created to allow renewable energy plants to begin operations while awaiting dedicated transmission infrastructure. While well-intentioned, T-GNA has become a source of significant financial distress as the volume of projects operating under it has grown far beyond what was originally anticipated.
Public financing institutions play a central role in this ecosystem. Banks and specialised lenders — including IREDA, PFC, REC, NaBFID, IIFCL, and SIDBI — alongside 12 public sector banks, collectively deployed approximately Rs 5.08 lakh crore in the renewable energy sector during the last two financial years. This scale of institutional exposure means that project-level financial stress does not remain confined to individual developers; it carries systemic implications for the banking sector.
The GNA framework governs how renewable energy projects connect to the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS). Projects with long-term GNA have firm evacuation rights — meaning the grid operator is obligated to carry their power. T-GNA projects, by contrast, can schedule power only when spare transmission capacity exists. During periods of network congestion — which coincide precisely with peak solar generation hours — long-term GNA projects receive priority, and T-GNA projects face curtailment. This is not a marginal inconvenience: developers report curtailment rates of 70–95% of generating capacity in high-stress zones such as Rajasthan, where approximately 4 GW of renewable projects face severe restrictions.
Power evacuation — the process of transferring electricity from a generation plant to consumption points — is the operational bottleneck. When evacuation infrastructure is unavailable or congested, generated electricity cannot be injected into the grid. …
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2.None of them is set up in water-stressed district.
3.None of them is privately owned.
How many of the above statements are correct?
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II.Ministry of New and Renewable Energy's aim is to provide grassroot-level training on installation, promotion, maintenance and repair of rooftop solar panels.
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Which of the statements given above are correct?
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With reference to the General Network Access (GNA) framework for renewable energy in India, consider the following statements:
1.Projects with long-term GNA have firm transmission evacuation rights on the Inter-State Transmission System.
2.Temporary General Network Access (T-GNA) projects receive the same evacuation priority as long-term GNA projects during periods of grid congestion.
3.Curtailment caused by transmission bottlenecks under T-GNA entitles developers to the same compensation as grid-security-related backing down.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Which of the following institutions are among the specialised lenders that have deployed funds in India's renewable energy sector?
1.IREDA
2.NaBFID
3.IIFCL
4.SIDBI
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Which of the following best describes the primary reason why Temporary General Network Access (T-GNA) projects face higher financial risk compared to long-term GNA projects in India?
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