EPTA urges phased ISTS waiver withdrawal to support renewable energy projects
New Delhi: As India moves towards achieving 500 GW renewable energy capacity by 2030, the
Electric Power Transmission Association
(EPTA) has urged the government to reconsider the planned withdrawal of the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) waiver, proposing milestone-based eligibility and phased rollback mechanisms to support developers affected by external delays.
The
ISTS waiver
, introduced in 2016, has been extended only once and is now scheduled for phased withdrawal starting July 1, 2025. According to EPTA, the current plan to reduce the waiver benefit by 25 per cent each year may negatively impact ongoing
renewable energy projects
, affect investment flows, and increase power costs for commercial and industrial (C&I) consumers, who already face some of the highest electricity tariffs globally.
EPTA has proposed a 10 per cent annual withdrawal plan instead of the proposed 25 per cent, stating that a calibrated approach would minimise cost escalation and ensure continued competitiveness of green power.
"The government has been very supportive of the sector and has introduced number of policy measures, particularly in the last six months. We are very hopeful that the government will again take a more pragmatic view on the ISTS waiver issue,' said
G.P. Upadhyaya
, Director General, EPTA.
'We are not seeking a blanket extension. We are only proposing that the projects which have achieved key development milestones, such as securing financial closure, acquiring at least 50% of required land, and placing key equipment orders, should be granted a 6-9 month window to avail the ISTS waiver benefits,' Upadhyaya said.
The association has requested that projects with significant progress but delayed by uncontrollable factors be granted limited additional time to come under the waiver's ambit. EPTA's submission aligns with milestone-linked waivers already extended for pumped hydro and battery storage projects until June 2028.
EPTA highlighted that over USD 100 billion in transmission investment is expected in the next 8 to 10 years, with the sector playing a central role in India's renewable energy transition. The association has also called for scaling up domestic manufacturing of 765 kV high-voltage direct current (HVDC) equipment under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, citing constraints in importing from European and Chinese manufacturers.
The industry body also mentioned key infrastructure initiatives such as the planned offshore transmission line from the Andaman Islands to Paradip in Odisha, under the One Sun, One World, One Grid initiative. The project aims to connect the island's demand centres with green power from the mainland. It further pointed to India's growing grid strength and its potential to facilitate cross-border links, including possible future connections from the Andaman Islands to Singapore and from Gujarat to the UAE.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
HCLTech collaborates with OpenAI to drive enterprise AI adoption
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills Indian IT bellwether HCLTech has entered a multi-year strategic collaboration with artificial intelligence (AI) major OpenAI to drive large-scale enterprise adoption of the new-age technology, according to an exchange filing on Monday. With this, HCLTech becomes one of the first strategic services partner of collaboration will allow HCLTech's clients to leverage OpenAI's products, alongside with the former's foundational and applied AI offerings for rapid and scaled GenAI deployment. HCLTech will embed OpenAI's models and solutions across its industry offerings, capabilities and proprietary platforms, including AI Force, AI Foundry, AI Engineering and industry-specific AI deep integration will help clients modernise business processes, enhance customer and employee experiences and unlock growth opportunities, covering the full AI lifecycle, from AI readiness assessments and integration to enterprise-scale adoption, governance and change management, HCLTech said in the will also roll out ChatGPT Enterprise and OpenAI APIs for its deal comes a day after HCLTech signed custom AI deal with the Indian government, along with US' Pentagon and super-app developer Grab, per The week, HCLTech expanded its partnership with cloud computing major Salesforce for enterprise adoption of agentic artificial intelligence (AI) services. The partnership will accelerate enterprises' adoption of autonomous AI agents by Salesforce Agentforce across various industries, including financial services, healthcare, retail and manufacturing, HCLTech said in an exchange filing on compoany has also entered a strategic alliance with AMD to accelerate enterprise digital transformation worldwide through advanced solutions in AI, digital and cloud. Joint development centres established under the collaboration will be used to test advanced technologies and conduct proof-of-concept tests to speed up the time-to-market for innovative enterprise this month, HCLTech entered into a long-term partnership with European energy major to support its product-based transformation, using advanced cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. As part of the deal, HCLTech will build a new private cloud and manage global cloud and network infrastructure across major hyperscalers. The partnership aims to help scale automation and boost cloud and network maturity by using advanced tools such as HCLTech's AI Force HCLTech secured an engineering services deal with Swedish truck manufacturer Volvo Group. The IT company will support Volvo Cars ' future engineering goals from its Automotive Centre of Excellence in Gothenburg, along with its global offshore and nearshore delivery shares closed 0.15% higher at Rs 1,727.70 per share, compared to a 0.54% decline in the benchmark Sensex.
India Gazette
3 hours ago
- India Gazette
India's textile sector needs fair deal from ASEAN countries: Exim Bank Report
New Delhi [India], June 30 (ANI): India's trade with its top ASEAN partners like Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia has grown a lot, even though India has taken a protectionist approach after signing the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement (AITIGA). But Indian exporters, especially in the textile sector, are still facing major challenges. A report by India-Exim Bank noted that a large number of Indian textile products have been put on 'exclusion' or 'sensitive' lists by ASEAN countries. This means they don't get duty-free access, making it harder for Indian textiles to compete in those markets. Countries like the Philippines and Vietnam also offer zero-duty access under AITIGA, but Indian businesses are not using this opportunity fully. The study suggests that the trade agreement needs to be re-examined and renegotiated. Many products that India is strong in exporting are blocked or restricted by ASEAN countries. These are called 'offensive' products, and India should push for better access to them. At the same time, there are 'defensive' products where India should keep higher tariffs to protect local industries and reduce the trade gap. The textile and garment industry is very important for India's economy. It makes up over 10 per cent of India's manufacturing output and 1.4 per cent of the total GDP. In 2023-24, textile exports were worth USD 34.4 billion, or nearly 8 per cent of India's total merchandise exports. To boost the growth of man-made fibres, the Government of India has launched a special support plan called the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. This scheme is focused on the Man-Made Fibres (MMF) and Technical Textiles sectors. It aims to attract investment, encourage local manufacturing, and make Indian products more competitive in global markets. So far, 73 companies have been chosen to benefit from this scheme. India is already one of the world's top producers of textiles. It ranks second in cotton production after China. In the 2023 market year, China made up over 24 per cent of the world's cotton output, while India followed closely with 23 per cent. Other major producers include Brazil (13 per cent), the USA (11 per cent), and Pakistan (6 per cent). India contributes about 4.7 per cent to global textile production and is a major player in cotton, silk, raw jute, and man-made fibres. These products are used both in India and exported to other countries. (ANI)
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Cryptocurrency fraud ring busted in Spain after laundering $540 million, Europol says
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills A cryptocurrency investment fraud ring that investigators said laundered 460 million euros ($540 million) using a worldwide network of accomplices has been dismantled in Spain, European police body Europol said on said Spanish police led the operation against the criminal network, and that law enforcement agencies from France, Estonia and the United States were also people were arrested as a result of the operation, with three arrested on the Canary Islands and two in headquartered in The Hague, said the network allegedly used associates around the world to raise funds through cash withdrawals, bank transfers and suspect the organisation of establishing a corporate and banking network based in Hong Kong, using payment gateways and user accounts in the names of different people and in different exchanges to receive, store and transfer criminal investigation continues, added Europol.
