Nearly 4 GW of wind and solar power in Rajasthan has been curtailed since March 2025 because of delays in transmission projects and lower electricity demand due to heavy rainfall in north India.
Renewable energy developers in the state are getting notices from regional power control centres about scheduled power reductions in March.
The reductions, which were 8.5% at the start, jumped quickly to 51.5% by August, even though solar and wind projects were given special priority to keep running in 2021.
Under this rule, reduction is only allowed for grid safety reasons, and even then, it must be clearly communicated to developers.
The National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) has written to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), saying that projects are being delayed because transmission lines are taking 18–20 months longer than planned.
Rajasthan’s power grid can handle about 14,000 MW, but approvals have been given for almost 22,500 MW of projects. This overload has caused up to 48% of solar and wind power to be cut during peak hours.
Several important transmission lines, like the 765 kV Khetri–Narela, 765 kV Bhadla II–Sikar II, and 400 kV Narela–Maharani Bagh lines, are delayed by up to two years. Solar projects are being hit the hardest, although wind projects are also affected.
The problem is not limited to Rajasthan. Developers say Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu are also experiencing curtailments, though at lower levels.
In Gujarat, the reduction is 10–30%, and in Maharashtra, it’s 10–15%. Industry experts expect this reduction to continue until December 2025.
Another factor adding to the crisis is reduced power demand caused by extended monsoon rains and thunderstorms.
In May, the Indian Energy Exchange saw market-clearing prices drop close to zero due to high supply and weak demand, while the country’s overall power consumption fell by 1.5% year-on-year to 150.04 billion units.
Developers point out that most curtailments are taking place under temporary grid access since permanent connections are given priority.
In short, the combination of transmission delays, grid congestion, and lower demand has caused record-high reductions in Rajasthan’s renewable power sector, raising concerns about the speed of India’s clean energy transition.
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