Business Standard Reports CREA Estimate that India Curtailed 31 GW Renewable Energy in Q4 FY26 Amid Transmission and Flexibility Constraints

Business Standard reported on 1 May 2026 that India curtailed 31 GW of renewable energy capacity in the January-March quarter of FY26 because of inadequate transmission capacity and limited system flexibility. The report, citing the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air's quarterly energy snapshot, said the curtailment came even as peak power demand touched an all-time high of 256 GW in the previous week. For exam use, the issue is the gap between renewable capacity addition and grid absorption.

CREA estimated that about 27 GW of solar and 4 GW of wind generation were curtailed during the quarter. It also cited additional curtailment under the Indian grid's Tertiary Reserve Ancillary Service: 83 GW of solar and 11 GW of wind. Gujarat recorded the highest curtailment, with 20 GW solar and 3 GW wind reduced, and also saw emergency curtailment of roughly 18 GW solar and 5 GW wind under the reserve service.

The report linked recurring curtailment to thermal power flexibility constraints during hours when renewable generation is high. Without battery storage, transmission upgrades and demand-side management, clean electricity can be wasted even as capacity expands. CERC's emphasis on lowering minimum technical load from 55 per cent to 40 per cent was also noted.

The power mix data underline the transition challenge. Q4 FY26 peak demand was 245 GW on 9 January, while total generation was 246 GW. Thermal power led with 67 per cent, followed by solar at 20 per cent, hydro at 6 per cent, wind at 3 per cent and nuclear at 2 per cent. Peak demand aligned with solar generation hours on 88 of 90 days. Yet the 25 April peak of 256 GW was still met largely by thermal power, showing why storage and grid flexibility are central to India's energy transition.