New Delhi, May 12 (PTI) Issues related to curtailment of renewable electricity output at the power grid and strengthening the transmission network for solar and wind energy will be on the discussion table at a high-level meeting between two Union ministers on Wednesday.
Minister of New & Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi said he will meet power minister Manohar Lal to discuss the challenges faced by clean electricity producers across the country, along with other issues.
Various issues will come for discussion for boosting renewable energy in the country, including the deviation settlement mechanism (DSM), curtailment and transmission, Joshi told reporters at the sidelines of the CII Business Summit here.
The meeting comes in the backdrop of the government's target of having 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030 and reports of backdown of electricity supply by renewable energy producers and a lack of transmission network for the evacuation of the green energy.
Under DSM, power producers face a penalty for deviation from the promised electricity supply to the grid. However, renewable energy producers say that their power generation process is weather-dependent and deviation is bound to happen.
Besides, these producers also have to face curtailment of RE output at the grid level when the supply exceeds the demand.
Since thermal or coal-based power supply cannot be decreased beyond a point, the surplus supply from solar plants is curtailed to ensure the smooth functioning of the grid.
According to industry experts, the thermal power plants are not viable if they run below 50 per cent plant load factor (PLF) or capacity utilisation. Thus, the RE projects, such as solar power supply, are backed down or curtailed to the national grid.
The other major issue, as per the industry, is the lack of transmission infrastructure for the evacuation of electricity from the renewable energy projects.
Speaking at the Summit, the renewable energy minister also talked about the delay in signing the power purchase agreement for green energy projects, saying that he will soon meet all these developers.
He further said that the government will soon come out with a policy on polysilicon, a key raw material used in the manufacturing of solar photovoltaic cells and semiconductors.
Speaking at the session, Girish Tanti, Chairman, CII RE Manufacturing Council, and CII National Committee on Renewable Energy, and Vice-Chairman, Suzlon, said that India is uniquely positioned as a leader combining scale, speed, resilience and self-reliance in the sector.
He also stressed the need to strengthen grid infrastructure, bidding processes and domestic manufacturing ecosystems to sustain momentum towards the 500-GW target.
Rahul Munjal, Co-Chairman, CII National Committee on Renewable Energy, and Founder & Chairman, Hero Future Energies, said that energy self-reliance must be a national priority, and India must look beyond current targets towards a long-term clean energy vision, including one terawatt capacity.
Suchitra Ella, Vice President, CII, noted that India added 55.3 GW of non-fossil capacity in FY 2025–26 and met over 51 per cent of peak electricity demand through renewables, reflecting strong policy direction, execution and industry participation.