Lok Sabha Question No. 280 (STARRED), answered on 2019-07-11
Subject: Clearance of Transmission Lines
Ministry: POWER
Asked by: Pritam Gopinath Munde, Shrirang Appa Barne

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.280 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.07.2019

## CLEARANCE OF TRANSMISSION LINES

*280.  DR. PRITAM GOPINATHRAO MUNDE: SHRI SRIRANGA APPA BARNE:

Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Central  Electricity  Regulatory  Commission  (CERC)  did not  agree  to  clear  transmission  lines  required  by  the  end  of  2020  of renewable projects under implementation or tendered projects approved under norms prevalent till June 2018;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  reasons  therefor  along  with  the response of the Government thereto;
- (c) whether  approval  under  new  process  would  have  taken  nearly  a year, by which time the renewable projects underway would have started coming on stream and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether investments would have been stranded due to the absence of power  evacuation  infrastructure  and if so, the response  of the Government thereto; and
- (e) the steps taken by the Government to resolve the issue on priority basis?

## A N S W E R

THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR POWER, NEW & RENEWABLE  ENERGY  AND THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT & ENTREPRENEURSHIP

( SHRI  R.K. SINGH)

(a) to (e) :  A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF STARRED QUESTION NO.280 TO BE ANSWERED IN THE LOK SABHA ON 11.07.2019 REGARDING CLEARANCE OF TRANSMISSION LINES.

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- (a) & (b) : A  comprehensive transmission scheme has been evolved for integrating the identified Renewable Energy Zones of 66.5 GW, which has been  planned  to  be  implemented  in  two  phases.  About  28  GW  of  RE projects  are  planned  under  Phase-I  (up  to  December  2020)  and  balance 38.5 GW are under Phase-II (December 2021).

POWERGRID, the Central Transmission Utility (CTU), has filed two petitions (37/MP/2019 and 23/MP/2019) in Central Electricity Regulatory  Commission  (CERC)  for  regulatory  approval  of  execution  of Transmission system under Phase-I.

In  Petition  No.  37/MP/2019,  CERC observed  that 'Petitioner has  not  complied  with  the  provisions  of  the  Transmission  Planning Regulations and Regulatory Approval Regulations before approaching the Commission in all respects for grant of regulatory approval for execution of  the  transmission  system for  evacuation  of  power from potential  solar and wind energy zones in Western Regional. Therefore, we are unable to take decision in the present Petition.'

As  regards Petition  No.  23/MP/2019,  the  CERC  directed  the petitioner to submit additional information on affidavit.

Central  Govt.  has  asked  CTU  to  expedite  the  compliance  of CERC Regulations.

- (c)  :          Inter-State  transmission  schemes  associated  with  RE  projects under Phase-I have already been agreed in Regional Standing Committee on  Transmission  of  Western,  Northern  and  Southern  Regions,  National Committee on Transmission (NCT) and Empowered Committee on Transmission (ECT) in January, 2019. The process of bidding for transmission  system  associated  with  12.4  GW  of  RE  project  is  already underway and the same is expected to be completed by September, 2019.
- (d) : The transmission system related to above RE projects, getting implemented through Tariff Based Competitive Bidding Route, is being bid out  with  scheduled  date  of  completion  of  most  of  the  elements  by December' 2020.
- (e) : To  expedite  the  implementation  of  Inter-State  transmission schemes for evacuation of RE power, the bidding process and the process for grant of Regulatory Approval are being done simultaneously. A Working Group for expeditious implementation of the RE generation and associated transmission system has also been constituted by the Government.

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