India was forced to curtail 8.1 terawatt hours of solar electricity, enough to meet the annual power needs of nearly 1.4 million households, during April-June 2026 as transmission bottlenecks and grid-security requirements prevented the system from absorbing available clean energy.
The curtailment came during the peak summer quarter, even as electricity demand touched a record 270.82 GW on May 21 amid intense heatwave conditions and higher use of cooling appliances.
Curtailment refers to the forced reduction of electricity generation when the grid is unable to absorb the power being produced.
India held back a total of 8,133 gigawatt hours of solar generation in the first quarter of FY27, Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy and Power Shripad Yesso Naik informed Parliament on Tuesday.
Solar curtailment stood at 2,417 GWh in April, increased to a quarterly high of 3,235 GWh in May and eased to 2,481 GWh in June. One TWh is equivalent to one billion kilowatt hours.
“As per information received from Grid Controller of India Limited, solar power curtailment and restrictions are being carried out to maintain grid security and due to a mismatch between the commissioning of transmission lines and RE projects,” Naik said in a written reply.
The government said renewable-energy projects coming into operation ahead of schedule, coupled with delays in the completion of transmission lines, were forcing grid operators to restrict solar generation.
May recorded the highest curtailment despite the country touching its all-time peak power demand during the month, bringing the gap between renewable capacity addition and transmission readiness into sharper focus.
Responding to whether renewable-energy curtailment had emerged as a challenge for India’s clean-energy transition, the government said such restrictions were necessary to ensure the reliable and secure operation of the electricity grid.