India, Oct. 7 -- The Union Cabinet's approval of the Rs 1.86 trillion Green Energy Corridor Phase III (GEC-III) scheme on September 30 , 2026 marks a significant shift in how India is preparing its electricity grid for a much larger renewable energy system. The scheme aims to strengthen intra-state transmission systems to evacuate up to 135 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy and deploy 50 gigawatt hours (GWh) of battery energy storage systems (BESS) by financial year 2032-33 (FY33). The more important question, however, is whether transmission and storage can be built at the pace at which renewable capacity is being added.

Welcoming the Cabinet decision, Simon Stiell, executive secretary of UN Climate Change, described the initiative as ...