Karnataka has been one of the front-runners in renewable energy deployment in India, backed by a series of state-level policies such as the Renewable Energy Policy 2021–2026, the Karnataka Solar Policy 2014–21, and the Electric Vehicles and Energy Storage Policy 2017. These policies collectively promote utility-scale and distributed solar, wind, biomass, and hydro projects, encourage private participation in transmission infrastructure, support solarisation of agricultural feeders, and target 100% electric vehicle penetration in public and private transport segments by 2030. To meet Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) targets set by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC), the state has actively encouraged open access, exempted RE projects from wheeling and banking charges, and supported rooftop and feeder-level solar deployment. As a result, Karnataka has already surpassed the renewable energy capacity target set by MNRE for FY 2021–22, with over 15 GW of installed RE, led by solar and wind.
With growing renewable penetration and rising demand across major load centres such as Bengaluru, the transmission system now needs to be assessed for its readiness to absorb further RE additions. To support this need, CSTEP is executed Karnataka’s transmission network analysis at 66 kV and above for the years CY 2022 and FY 2026–27 through power flow studies. The analysis identified the existing network capability to accommodate higher RE injection, and identified the strengthening measures required to meet projected demand scenarios. N-1 contingency analysis is also being conducted across substations and transmission lines and recommended appropriate network upgrades.
