CERC allows withdrawal option for stalled RE connectivity cases

The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has issued an order in Petition No. 666/MP/2025, allowing renewable energy developers an optional withdrawal window where final connectivity grants have been delayed due to transmission planning constraints flagged by the Central Transmission Utility of India Limited (CTUIL).

The order, dated April 10, 2026, stems from a petition filed by Saurya Urja Company of Rajasthan Limited (SUCRL). The developer had sought relief from strict land document submission timelines under the General Network Access (GNA) Regulations, 2022. SUCRL had secured in-principle connectivity for a 400 MW solar park at the proposed Bikaner-V pooling substation, but progress was held up as CTUIL had not finalised the substation’s coordinates or transmission scheme.

CERC directed CTUIL to offer affected applicants, those with in-principle connectivity but without final grants due to planning issues, the option to withdraw their applications. CTUIL has been given 30 days from the order date to communicate this option, and applicants can exercise it within two months of such communication.

On withdrawal, CTUIL will return both Land Bank Guarantees (BGs) and Connectivity BGs within 15 days. It will retain 50% of the application fee and refund the remaining 50%. This relaxes the standard provision under Regulation 3.7.3, which provides for full forfeiture of the application fee and partial encashment of BGs.

Applicants choosing to continue will have their Land BGs and Connectivity BGs retained by CTUIL in line with existing regulations.

For SUCRL, the Commission extended the same withdrawal option. However, it did not accept the request to extend the land document submission timeline to 12 months from the prescribed 9 months after communication of coordinates. It also declined to allow partial release of BGs without withdrawal, noting that such relief would require amendments to the regulations.

CERC noted broader transmission planning constraints, with around 60 GW of connectivity applications affected across multiple proposed pooling stations in Rajasthan, including Barmer-III, Bhadla-IV, Ramgarh-II, and Jalore. It directed CTUIL to publicise the order widely to inform similarly placed applicants.

The order was issued by a bench comprising Members Shri Ramesh Babu V., Shri Harish Dudani, and Shri Ravinder Singh Dhillon. The Commission invoked its powers under Regulation 42 of the GNA Regulations, 2022. The issue of load-generation balance has been referred to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), which is yet to submit its inputs. The petition and related interim applications have been disposed of.

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