EPTA Urges Govt to Extend Transmission Waiver for Green Projects

The Electric Power Transmission Association (EPTA) has called upon the government to extend the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) charges waiver for clean energy projects until March 2026. This comes amid fears that around 30 GW worth of projects, valued at approximately Rs 2 lakh crore, could face significant viability risks due to unavoidable delays.

Originally, the government had slated the waiver for solar and wind projects to end by June 30, 2025. EPTA Director General G P Upadhyaya emphasized that projects across states such as Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu could be affected by lands issues and other unforeseen challenges, causing further postponements.

The EPTA has proposed granting a 6-9 month extension to projects that have achieved key milestones, and recommended a gradual waiver phase-out, retracting the waiver by 10% annually instead of the proposed 25%. This approach aims to stabilize costs and keep renewable energy investments attractive.

(With inputs from agencies.)