The system operator regularly had to curtail solar generation as an emergency measure to maintain grid security, as other resources were already flexing to their maximum capabilities. Lost solar generation highlights the need for flexibility to grow at pace with solar capacity.
New Delhi, 27 January – While 2025 marked a surge in solar capacity additions in India, it also regularly saw curtailment of solar power as an emergency measure to ensure grid stability. A new report by energy think tank Ember finds that India had to curtail 2.3 terawatt hours (TWh) of solar generation between late May, when reporting started and December 2025, for which compensation between INR 5,750 million – INR 6,900 million (~USD 63 million – USD 76 million) had to be paid. The total recorded curtailment is equivalent to ~18% of the average monthly solar generation of ~13 TWh.
The curtailment occurred because, under frequently occurring operational conditions, the National Load Dispatch Centre could not turn down other generation sources far enough to accommodate midday solar. These conditions occurred, for example, when demand was lower than forecast, a common occurrence in 2025 due to exceptionally mild temperatures. Demand fell in October 2025, with the midday fall twice that in the evening. In these cases, even after ramping down the coal fleet to its minimum technical limits, the system operator had to curtail solar generation to ensure the grid remained stable.
