India's Green Power Surge Meets Grid Bottlenecks

India is facing a significant challenge in its energy transition, curtailing clean power generation even as demand for electricity rises. In the past 15 months, nearly 11 terawatt-hours of solar energy were curtailed. This is despite extreme heat driving up demand for cooling and agricultural use. The country is rapidly expanding its renewable capacity, particularly solar, but its grid infrastructure is struggling to keep pace.

Experts point to insufficient transmission lines and energy storage capacity as the primary bottlenecks. These limitations make it difficult to integrate the growing renewable supply with the existing power system, which still relies heavily on coal. Shifting between coal and renewables is also technically challenging and costly, akin to 'asking an elephant to dance,' according to one industry leader.

Developing more transmission lines is a slow process, often taking longer than building new renewable energy farms. Furthermore, congested transmission corridors in western India, a hub for solar power, exacerbate the issue. Without adequate energy storage, India risks continuing to rely on dirtier fuels even when clean power is available.

Battery storage offers a promising solution, allowing solar power generated during the day to be stored and used after sunset. Studies suggest renewable power backed by batteries can be reliable and cost-effective. However, India's current storage capacity is far below projected needs, with plans to reach 74 gigawatts by 2032.