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CEA Proposes Mandatory Energy Storage for New Solar and Wind Projects From 2027 Photograph: (AI)
The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has proposed a significant change to the technical standards governing renewable energy projects, including mandatory co-located energy storage systems (ESS) for new ground-mounted solar and onshore wind projects commissioned from July 2027.
Under the draft Central Electricity Authority (Technical Standards for Construction of Electric Plants and Electric Lines) 2nd Amendment Regulations, 2026, renewable energy power plants commissioned after July 1, 2027 would also be required to have at least 15% of their inverters equipped with grid-forming control. In addition, all power conversion systems (PCS) used in battery energy storage systems would need to have grid-forming capability. 
The more significant requirement is aimed at ground-mounted solar and onshore wind projects. Projects commissioned after July 1, 2027 would have to be equipped with a co-located ESS with a minimum two-hour storage duration and capacity equivalent to at least 10% of the plant’s installed capacity.  For example, under the proposed framework, a 100 MW solar or wind project would need at least **10 MW of storage for two hours**.
The draft proposes a further increase in storage duration for projects commissioned after July 1, 2029, and up to June 30, 2031. Such ground-mounted solar and onshore wind projects would be required to install co-located ESS with a minimum four-hour storage duration, while retaining the requirement that storage capacity should equal at least 10% of the plant’s installed capacity. 
Thus, a 100 MW project commissioned during this period would need at least 10 MW/40 MWh of storage, compared with 10 MW/20 MWh for projects commissioned from July 2027 under the first phase.
The proposal also signals a greater emphasis on grid-forming technology as India’s power system absorbs increasing volumes of renewable generation. The draft requires at least 15% of inverters in renewable energy plants commissioned after July 1, 2027 to have grid-forming control, while all PCS of battery energy storage systems would need to incorporate grid-forming control to meet the technical requirements under the CEA’s grid connectivity regulations. 
The CEA has also retained flexibility to change the required percentage of grid-forming capability or ESS capacity in the future, with the draft stating that such changes may be notified by the Authority from time to time. 
The CEA issued the draft notification on September 3, 2026, under Section 177 of the Electricity Act, 2003. The authority said the draft regulations will be considered after the expiry of 30 days from the date the notification is made available to the public.  Stakeholders and members of the public have been invited to submit comments by October 4, 2026. If notified in the proposed form, the amendment would mark a major shift in India’s technical requirements for new utility-scale solar and wind capacity, linking future renewable generation more closely with battery storage and grid-forming capabilities.
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