India Grants Relief to Renewables Hit by Bustard Ruling

16 Jan 2026 CW Team

In an order issued on Monday, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy said delays in obtaining approvals for overhead transmission lines in bustard habitats in Rajasthan and Gujarat will be treated as force majeure. This will allow developers to seek extensions to scheduled commissioning dates.

The decision follows a December 2025 verdict by the Supreme Court of India that brought an end to the long-running case and endorsed the recommendations of an expert panel aimed at protecting the critically endangered bird. The panel proposed tighter restrictions on new wind and large solar projects within designated habitat zones, along with undergrounding key power distribution lines and rerouting high-voltage transmission corridors.

Earlier court directions had curtailed the use of overhead transmission lines in bustard habitats, prompting several developers to pause projects while awaiting regulatory clarity. Under the latest order, renewable energy implementation agencies have been directed to grant extensions for delays occurring between March 21, 2024 and December 19, 2025. The ministry did not specify the duration of the extensions.

Developers had faced the risk of grid disconnection and financial penalties from India’s transmission authority as project timelines slipped amid regulatory uncertainty.

India has set a target of achieving 500 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel power capacity by 2030. However, the country’s transmission network, spanning around 495,000 circuit kilometres, has lagged the rapid expansion of generation capacity. Alongside commissioning relief, the ministry has also asked the power ministry and grid operators to provide corresponding concessions on connectivity and transmission charges for projects affected by the bustard-related delays.

India’s clean energy ministry has granted renewable energy developers additional time to commission projects delayed by a Supreme Court case on power transmission lines in habitats of the endangered Great Indian Bustard. In an order issued on Monday, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy said delays in obtaining approvals for overhead transmission lines in bustard habitats in Rajasthan and Gujarat will be treated as force majeure. This will allow developers to seek extensions to scheduled commissioning dates. The decision follows a December 2025 verdict by the Supreme Court of India that brought an end to the long-running case and endorsed the recommendations of an expert panel aimed at protecting the critically endangered bird. The panel proposed tighter restrictions on new wind and large solar projects within designated habitat zones, along with undergrounding key power distribution lines and rerouting high-voltage transmission corridors. Earlier court directions had curtailed the use of overhead transmission lines in bustard habitats, prompting several developers to pause projects while awaiting regulatory clarity. Under the latest order, renewable energy implementation agencies have been directed to grant extensions for delays occurring between March 21, 2024 and December 19, 2025. The ministry did not specify the duration of the extensions. Developers had faced the risk of grid disconnection and financial penalties from India’s transmission authority as project timelines slipped amid regulatory uncertainty. India has set a target of achieving 500 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel power capacity by 2030. However, the country’s transmission network, spanning around 495,000 circuit kilometres, has lagged the rapid expansion of generation capacity. Alongside commissioning relief, the ministry has also asked the power ministry and grid operators to provide corresponding concessions on connectivity and transmission charges for projects affected by the bustard-related delays.

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