CERC Proposes Restricted Grid Access To Boost Efficiency Of Transmission Networks

In a bid to optimise India's inter-state power transmission network, the central electricity regulator has introduced a draft amendment regulation, restricting access to the grid during solar and non-solar hours.

The draft regulation — named Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (Connectivity and General Network Access to the inter-State Transmission System) (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2025 — aims to increase the efficiency of the transmission infrastructure, alleviating connectivity issues for renewable energy projects.

The new 'restricted access' policy proposes renewable energy sources to schedule injections into the grid during specific hours, depending on the nature of the energy source. For instance, solar projects will only have access to the grid during solar hours, while wind energy or energy storage systems will utilise the same transmission infrastructure during non-solar hours.

“NLDC shall notify the solar hours and non-solar hours beginning from date of notification of these amendments on a weekly basis for each State. NLDC may revise such hours during the week in case of unforeseen contingency, including weather changes,” the draft regulation noted.

This approach is expected to release a significant amount of blocked transmission capacity, providing relief to the wind energy sector, which has long struggled with connectivity issues. The regulation will enable hybrid projects to optimise their transmission capacity, making the most of the available infrastructure.

For example, a hybrid project with 700 MW of solar, 400 MW of wind, and 200 MW of ESS will have access to 1,000 MW of transmission capacity during solar hours and 600 MW during non-solar hours. This flexibility will enable project developers to maximise their energy output, while minimising transmission losses.

Renewable energy projects based on wind or energy storage systems can now apply for connectivity at inter-state transmission substations with scheduling rights for non-solar hours. Conversely, solar-based projects or renewable hybrid projects will have restricted scheduling during non-solar hours, unless they integrate with other sources like wind or storage.

“The draft regulation aims to release ‘blocked’ transmission capacity for faster capacity addition and effective utilisation of transmission infrastructure,” JM Financial Institutional Securities said in a report,

“We believe this, coupled with recent changes in tariff based competitive bidding guidelines for RE projects, is a significant move to relieve the ‘connectivity’ pain of the wind energy sector, and these steps are aimed at enhancing the integration of renewable energy, particularly solar and wind power, into the grid by introducing generation-specific restricted access and scheduling rights.”