Rajasthan’s aggressive push for solar energy has strengthened its position as India’s largest renewable power state, but weak transmission and distribution infrastructure is increasingly exposing the limits of this strategy.
Over the past two years, the state government has relied heavily on renewable energy to mitigate severe financial stress caused by free power schemes, with power sector debt approaching ₹1.5 lakh crore. Installed renewable capacity has now crossed 43 GW, yet persistent grid constraints remain a critical bottleneck.
Since March 2025, an estimated 3–4 GW of renewable power has been curtailed due to inadequate transmission capacity, resulting in losses of around ₹250 crore for developers. While key evacuation lines such as the 765 kV Fatehgarh II–Bhadla II and Bhadla II–Sikar II have been commissioned, industry bodies warn that persistent bottlenecks could discourage future investments in the state’s renewable sector.
On the distribution side, the situation is even more concerning. Transmission and distribution losses remain high, with 20.8% in Jaipur discom and 28.7% in Jodhpur discom, among the worst in India. Inefficiencies in billing, ageing networks, and unaddressed technical losses threaten the financial viability and sustainability of Rajasthan’s clean energy ambitions.
Experts emphasise that grid modernisation, improved operational discipline, and financial restructuring are urgently needed to ensure that renewable energy growth is sustainable. Without addressing these infrastructure gaps, Rajasthan risks undermining the very benefits of its solar-led recovery strategy, despite having one of the country’s most ambitious clean energy portfolios.
