India’s renewable energy (RE) curtailment is fast reaching materially significant proportions with 235.5 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy generation getting directly curtailed during Q1 FY27.In power grid management, renewable energy (RE) curtailment refers to the deliberate reduction or complete shut-off of power generated by solar and wind plants. Instead of feeding the electricity into the national grid, green energy generation is deliberately thrown away or restricted.Most of the wastage of this clean energy resource is due to the growing mismatch between fast-moving solar projects and slower-moving transmission infrastructure.RE losses were substantial during the April-June period. Around 185.5 GW of solar and 50 GW of wind generation were directly curtailed in Q1 FY27, indicating that available renewable generation could not be fully absorbed by the grid, said Manoj Kumar, Analyst at the Finland-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).Emergency curtailment under Tertiary Reserve Ancillary Service (TRAS) was significantly higher. Solar recorded 421.7 GW of TRAS-related curtailment, more than two times higher than direct solar curtailment, while wind saw 67.4 GW curtailed under TRAS, compared to 50 GW of direct curtailment, he added.TRAS mechanism is a manually activated power system that balances the service used to resolve grid congestion.Gujarat recorded the highest solar curtailment (122 GW; 276 million units) and wind curtailment (39 GW; 81 million units) during the quarter.The highest TRAS-down events were also observed in Gujarat, particularly at the Khavda and Bhuj pooling stations, where around 79 GW (234 MU) of solar generation and 19 GW (62 MU) of wind generation were backed down.Even during the Q4 FY26 quarter substantial RE losses were reported. Around 26.6 GW of solar and 3.6 GW of wind generation were directly curtailed during the quarter.Similarly, emergency curtailment under TRAS was significantly higher than direct curtailment. Solar recorded 83.1 GW of TRAS-related curtailment, more than three times higher than direct solar curtailment, while wind saw 10.9 GW curtailed under TRAS compared to 3.6 GW of direct curtailment.Transmission delaysInstitute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) also points out that transmission delays and renewable energy curtailment are emerging as significant barriers to renewable energy expansion in India.“Grid India data shows solar curtailment in April (2026) was 74 per cent higher than the combined total for January–March, highlighting growing grid constraints amid rising daytime electricity demand. This makes investment in grid infrastructure and battery storage just as critical to the energy transition as adding new renewable capacity,” it emphasised.Similarly, Ankit Jain, VP & Co-Group Head at ICRA, recently explained that power transmission projects continue to face significant execution risks owing to challenges in acquiring land, right of way (RoW) related issues and regulatory approvals, leading to delays in timely implementation.Most transmission projects awarded by the central nodal agencies through the tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) route have been delayed beyond their scheduled commissioning date (SCOD) due to these challenges, he pointed out.Jain pointed out that out of the recently commissioned total RE capacity of 54.8 GW, around 33 per cent is being evacuated under T-GNA (Temporary-General Network Access) route at an all-India level as of May 2026.Curtailment under TGNA is the highest during solar hours and has remained in the range of 50-60 per cent during the same period. These instances are more prominent in Rajasthan and Gujarat, while curtailments in the southern region remain limited even in the solar hours, he explained.A large pipeline of projects of roughly 107 GW across solar, wind, hybrid, hydro, pumped storage and thermal segments, which already have been granted connectivity, are planned to be integrated into the ISTS network during FY27-FY31.Published on August 2, 2026