Not Technology, But Grid Bottlenecks Slowing India’s Clean Energy Push

Ita Kettleborough, Director of the Energy Transitions Commission, a global platform focused on net zero emissions, told The Secretariat that India’s clean energy transition is being slowed less by technology or financing and more by grid congestion, land constraints, and regulatory bottlenecks.

On the clean power side, India has the necessary technology, but what is lacking is the effective implementation of the policy and regulatory framework

– Ita Kettleborough, Director, Energy Transitions Commission

Renewable energy capacity in India has reached over 250 Gigawatts (GW), projecting the green energy transition as a success story. Yet, beneath this growth, the structural problem needs to be resolved. Until that is done, issues related to stranded capacity and financial stress for developers would dent India’s energy transition efforts.

Hard-to-Abate Sectors Face Cost Barriers

While India is using renewable energy in the power and mobility sectors, it faces a tougher challenge in certain industries, including steel, cement, shipping, and aviation.

Kettleborough said that clean alternatives, including green hydrogen and low-carbon fuels, are technically viable and already being piloted in India. However, their higher costs compared to fossil-based options are restricting the widespread adoption.

“The solutions exist, but the economics doesn't yet stack up at scale,” she said, noting that demand-side policy support would be needed to close the gap.

Grid Expansion Lagging Behind Demand

Despite rising electricity demand and government targets to expand non-fossil power capacity by 2030, developers are facing growing delays related to grid connectivity, transmission availability, and land acquisition.

Kettleborough said electricity networks are not being expanded fast enough to absorb new renewable capacity, particularly as electrification accelerates across transport, buildings, and industry. “As users want to electrify and use clean power, the system needs to be ready to deliver that power where it’s needed,” Kettleborough said.

Industry participants have increasingly flagged grid congestion and slow interconnections as a risk to India’s renewable build-out, even as solar and wind projects continue to be announced at scale.

According to a report by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), India curtailed around 23 gigawatts of renewable energy last year as rising green power generation collided with the operational limits of coal-fired plants.

Land Constraints Put Focus On AgriPV

Land availability in India has already been a sensitive issue. This is also impacting India’s solar expansion, particularly as large-scale projects increasingly compete with agriculture and environmentally sensitive areas.

Kettleborough pointed to AgriPV—solar panels installed on active farmland—as a potential way to ease this constraint. The approach allows agricultural production and power generation to coexist, reducing land-use conflicts.

If designed properly, AgriPV could offer farmers an additional income stream while enabling faster solar deployment, she said.

However, Kettleborough stressed that AgriPV would require targeted regulatory support to scale. Treating it under the same rules as conventional ground-mounted solar could limit adoption. She said policies that explicitly recognise AgriPV, along with differentiated permitting and land-use regulations, would help attract early investment and build confidence in the model.

Kettleborough said the next phase of the transition will depend on whether infrastructure and regulation can keep pace with ambition.

“The targets are largely in place,” she said, adding, “What matters now is delivery—grids, land-use solutions, and policies that allow clean energy to scale at the speed required.”