As Rajasthan heads into the intense summer months, when electricity demand across north India typically surges, nearly four GW of solar power capacity in the state is being curtailed during daytime due to transmission constraints, raising concerns over the evacuation of clean energy from India’s largest renewable energy hub.
Data from the Northern Regional Load Despatch Centre (NRLDC) shows that Rajasthan currently has around 23 GW of commissioned renewable energy capacity, while the available transmission network can handle only about 18.9 GW. The gap is leaving several operational solar plants unable to fully dispatch the power they generate.
Much of the existing transmission capacity has already been allocated to projects with long-term General Network Access (GNA). This has left over 4 GW of solar capacity operating under temporary GNA (T-GNA) without assured transmission corridors. As a result, several renewable energy developers in the state are facing curtailment despite having fully operational projects.
The challenge is particularly visible in Rajasthan’s major solar districts such as Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bikaner and Jodhpur, where large solar parks are generating significant volumes of electricity during daylight hours. However, the rapid pace of renewable expansion has exposed a structural gap: transmission infrastructure is struggling to keep pace with the scale of new solar capacity.
The issue is emerging at a time when northern India is approaching peak summer demand, when air-conditioning loads sharply increase electricity consumption and solar generation becomes crucial in meeting daytime power requirements.
“Rajasthan is capable of supplying large volumes of solar power during summer afternoons when demand peaks. But unless transmission expansion keeps pace with generation growth, clean energy will remain stranded at the source,” said an energy expert Saddaf Alam.
He added that the situation reflects a broader structural imbalance in the energy transition. “India’s renewable capacity addition is moving faster than transmission build-out in some regions. Rajasthan is a classic example where the generation potential exists, but evacuation infrastructure now needs urgent strengthening.”
Power sector experts note that renewable energy projects are often located in remote, resource-rich regions far from major consumption centres, making high-capacity interstate transmission corridors essential.
“Rajasthan has the resource potential to supply clean electricity to large parts of northern and central India,” said a renewable energy analyst. “But the grid must expand in parallel with generation. Transmission lines are the highways that allow renewable power to travel from deserts to cities.”
Transmission advocates say the issue deserves urgent attention as India accelerates toward its ambitious clean energy targets. “Transmission lines are the silent enablers of the energy transition,” said a grid infrastructure expert involved in renewable integration. “If solar power generated in Rajasthan is to reliably light homes and run industries across India, building robust interstate transmission corridors must become a national priority.”