India’s stranded renewable energy capacity—projects awarded but unable to commence operations—has more than doubled in just nine months, largely due to unfinished transmission lines, and persistent legal and regulatory bottlenecks, according to letters sent by the Sustainable Projects Developers Association (SPDA) to the government.

As of June 2025, over 50 gigawatts (GW) of solar and wind projects remain idle, despite winning tenders, because they are yet to secure power purchase agreements (PPAs) with buyers. This is a significant increase from over 20 GW of stranded capacity reported by the SPDA in a previous letter dated October 2024. Reuters reviewed both letters.

The 50 GW in stranded projects represents nearly one-quarter of India’s total installed renewable capacity of 184.6 GW.

“India's energy transition is not just about installing solar and wind capacity—it must also ensure that clean power is delivered optimally, cost-effectively, and on time,” the SPDA said in its 27 June letter to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

India aims to increase its non-fossil fuel power capacity to 500 GW by 2030. A record 22 GW of solar and wind capacity was commissioned in the six months ending June 2025, as per government data.

However, billions of dollars' worth of tendered projects awarded to major developers—including JSW, NTPC, Adani Green, ReNew, ACME Solar, and Sembcorp—remain stranded, said two industry officials familiar with the matter. These companies did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

The SPDA, which counts ReNew Power, ACME Group, and Avaada Group among its core members, highlighted that transmission infrastructure delays—particularly in solar-rich states like Rajasthan and Gujarat—are causing missed commissioning deadlines, risking penalties and loss of incentives.

The association urged the government to classify such delays and pending regulatory approvals as force majeure events, shielding developers from financial penalties. It also called for faster environmental clearances and land-use approvals, noting that many projects remain stalled due to ongoing litigation.