CERC Closes CTUIL Petition After Regulatory Clarification On Renewable Energy Project Deadline Extensions

The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has disposed of a petition filed by the Central Transmission Utility of India Limited (CTUIL) after the utility requested permission to withdraw the matter. The commission’s order, issued on June 19, 2026, officially closed Petition No. 259/MP/2026, which was related to the treatment of project delays and timeline extensions granted by Renewable Energy Implementing Agencies (REIAs) and distribution licensees under existing transmission regulations.

CTUIL had approached the commission under the provisions of the Electricity Act, 2003, and the CERC (Connectivity and General Network Access to the Inter-State Transmission System) Regulations, 2022. The utility sought clarification on how extensions granted by implementing agencies should be considered when assessing compliance with connectivity-related deadlines.

The petition arose from a case involving Azure Power India Private Limited (APIPL) and an extension granted by the Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI). According to CTUIL, APIPL had originally received a connectivity timeline that ended in September 2021. Based on applicable regulations, the project was required to meet all necessary conditions by December 31, 2025.

SECI later issued an extension of the project’s Scheduled Commercial Operation Date (SCOD). For a 250 MW portion of the project, the revised deadline was extended until March 2028. However, this extension was subject to a key condition that APIPL had to sign its Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) or Power Sale Agreements (PSAs) on or before March 31, 2026.

Following the issuance of SECI’s extension letter, CTUIL temporarily excluded APIPL from its list of projects facing possible revocation of connectivity in January 2026. At the same time, the utility continued monitoring compliance with the conditions attached to the extension.

When the March 31, 2026, deadline passed without the signing of the required agreements, CTUIL proceeded with regulatory action. On June 1, 2026, it revoked the 250 MW connectivity granted to APIPL and invoked the associated bank guarantees.

Meanwhile, the regulatory position became clearer after the CERC issued an order on May 31, 2026, in a separate matter involving Datta Power Infra Private Limited and CTUIL. In that case, the commission clarified that tentative project timelines linked to unsigned PPAs could not be treated as valid grounds for extending regulatory deadlines.

During the hearing of the present petition, CTUIL informed the commission that the recent ruling had already addressed the key legal issue raised in its application. The utility also noted that APIPL had independently challenged the revocation of its connectivity through separate legal proceedings.

Considering these developments, CTUIL stated that no further issue remained to be decided in the petition and requested permission to withdraw it. Since APIPL did not object to the request, the CERC bench approved the withdrawal and formally disposed of the case.