Uttar Pradesh is planning a major expansion of its transmission network to evacuate 8.25 GW of renewable power under the Green Energy Corridor programmes. The state’s revised five-year roadmap includes infrastructure for 4,600 MW of solar capacity and 3,650 MW of pumped-storage capacity. The revised Green Energy Corridor III (GEC-III) scheme, including a proposed 765 kV Mirzapur pooling station, has been approved by the Central Electricity Authority, according to a submission to the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission.

The plan also identifies 4,000 MW of additional solar evacuation under Green Energy Corridor II (GEC-II). Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation (UPPCL) has proposed augmenting substations and transmission lines for this capacity, with the works estimated to cost Rs. 20.69 bn. Solar capacity in the state increased from 39.94 MW in FY2020-21 to 8,131.76 MW in FY2025-26, according to the regulatory order.

Bundelkhand is a key focus of the renewable-energy transmission programme. The plan includes 3,200 MW of renewable-energy-source bulk solar parks and 1,400 MW of distributed solar generation plants in the region. Transmission planning is also being undertaken to support the transfer of power from about 4,000 MW of renewable-energy projects being developed under the Green Energy Corridor framework.

The inclusion of pumped storage alongside solar reflects a broader effort to integrate variable generation with storage-backed electricity. The five-year plan also addresses rising demand, with peak power requirement projected to increase from 32,002 MW in FY2025-26 to 42,820 MW by FY2030-31. Including demand from the Integrated Manufacturing and Logistics Cluster, Awas Vikas and the Lucknow Development Authority, the projected requirement reaches 43,247 MW.

To support the expansion, the plan provides for 137 new substations with combined transformation capacity of 90,150 MVA and 13,649 circuit km of transmission lines through FY2030-31. The total network is expected to reach 850 substations, 294,150 MVA and 75,729 circuit km. Proposed transmission capital expenditure is Rs. 77.61 bn for FY2026-27, while total five-year investment is estimated at Rs. 385.2 bn. The regulator has instructed the transmission utility to monitor implementation closely after several earlier schemes were deferred or dropped.