Cabinet approved the second phase of the Green Energy Corridor, costing Rs 12,000 crore

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Green Energy Corridor (GEC) Phase-II scheme for the Intra-State Transmission System (InSTS), which includes the addition of approximately 10,750 circuit kilometres (ckm) of transmission lines and approximately 27,500 Mega Volt-Amperes (MVA) transformation capacity of substations.

In Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh, the scheme will assist grid integration and power evacuation for about 20 GW of renewable energy (RE) power installations.

The scheme is expected to be implemented at a total cost of Rs. 12,031.33 crore, with Central Financial Assistance (CFA) at 33% of the project cost, or Rs. 3970.34 crore. The transmission systems will be built during a five-year period, from Financial Year 2021-22 to Financial Year 2025-26. The Central Financial Assistance (CFA) programme will assist in offsetting intra-state transmission tariffs, lowering power bills. As a result, the government's assistance will ultimately benefit the end users – Indian citizens.

The programme will aid in meeting the aim of 450 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2030.

By decreasing carbon footprint, the initiative will also help to the country's long-term energy security and encourage environmentally sustainable growth. It will create a huge number of direct and indirect job opportunities in the power and allied sectors for both skilled and unskilled workers.

This scheme is in addition to GEC-Phase-I, which is currently being implemented in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu for grid integration and power evacuation of approximately 24 GW of renewable energy, with completion expected in 2022. The proposal calls for the addition of 9700 km of transmission lines and 22600 MVA of substation capacity, with an estimated cost of transmission projects of Rs. 10,141.68 crore and CFA of Rs. 4056.67