Ember对印度2026年国家电力政策草案的回应

Ember’s response toIndia’s draft National Ember’s response to suggestions solicited by the Hon’ble Ministry of Published date:16 February 2026Author:Duttatreya Das(duttatreya@ember-energy.org) About Ember Ember is an independent, not-for-profit energy think tank that aims to shift the world toclean electricity using data. It gathers, curates and analyses data on the global powersector and its impact on the climate, using cutting edge technologies and making dataand research as open as possible. It uses data-driven insights to shift the conversation Background The National Electricity Policy sets the broad contours of power sector planning inIndia at a system-wide level. The draft National Electricity Policy (2026) is only thesecond such policy since 2005, and it marks a substantive shift in thephilosophicalunderpinnings of the planning framework. The 2005 policy wasshaped by persistent demand–supply deficits and limited electricity access. In Aligned with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, the draft calls for coordinated reformsacross generation, transmission, distribution and market design. While its overalldirection is consistent with the requirements of a modern, low-carbon power Coordinated generation and transmission planning The draft policy rightly reinforces the importance of a structured resourceadequacy framework and prudent transmission planning at both the nationaland state levels. However, a critical structural gap remains—generation and When transmission planning simply responds to generation siting decisions, itdoes not provide adequate signals on where generation should optimally locate of RE, where resource-rich regions—such as north-west India—aregeographically distant from major demand centres. Transmission infrastructure As RE penetration increases, this sequential approach is becoming increasinglydifficult to sustain. Despite substantial growth in transmission circuit kilometres inrecent years, bottlenecks persist. Recurring delays in transmissioncommissioning and an estimated50 GWof stranded assets (as of October2025) point to systemic coordination challenges. In several instances, projects Addressing this anomaly requires a shift from a least-cost generation frameworkto a “co-optimised generation–transmission strategy,” in which joint system In a context where real-time price signals related to congestion, curtailment, ornew transmission build-out remain limited, relying solely on market forces maynot yield system-optimal outcomes. A more coordinated, planning-led Accelerating deployment of grid-enhancing technologies The draft policy also acknowledges the role of grid-enhancing technologies inbuilding a more resilient and reliable power system. This warrants immediateattention, particularly as the share of inverter-based resources continues to rise A least-cost planning approach is therefore essential to integrate technologiessuch as grid-forming inverters, synchronous condensers and other system-strength support mechanisms. Rather than reacting to large frequency These technical assessments must be followed by an evaluation of appropriate Institutional reforms in state level transmission planning The emphasis on strengthening transmission planning at the state level is apositive development, particularly as efforts are being made to replicate certainCentral Transmission Utility (CTU) processes within State Transmission Utilities However, enabling faster and more efficient transmission build-out at the statelevel will require deeper structural reform. The development of state transmissioninfrastructure should be more actively opened to private sector participation to This necessitates a clear functional and institutional separation within StateTransmission Utilities (STUs)—between the planning function and the asset- Such unbundling is essential to ensure that the state transmission companyresponsible for building assets competes on equal terms with private developers, Strengthening cost discipline in DISCOM power The draft policy rightly emphasises improving procurement practices forDISCOMs, given that power purchase costs account for nearly 70–80% of their Under current resource adequacy frameworks, reliability is largely equated withtying up long-term contracted capacity. This can conflict with cost optimisation,particularly whenprocurement from power exchangesor short-term markets is Therefore, resource adequacy requirements should evolve to assess not onlywhether sufficient ‘capacity’ is secured, but whether the procurement strategyrepresents the least-cost pathway to meeting demand. With the expansion of critical to avoiding over-procurement of low-utilisation assets and enabling a This scrutiny should be particularly rigorous when justifying new coal-basedcapacity additions. Any proposal for long-lived thermal assets must be Cybersecurity and data sharing With the rapid deployment of distributed RE, storage systems and smartmetering infrastructure, d