The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has clarified that the recently announced requirement to co-locate energy storage systems (ESS) with solar power plants will apply only to future tenders, and not to past or ongoing projects.
This includes schemes such as the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, which will continue under their existing rules without any new ESS mandate. The Ministry of Power had earlier issued an advisory recommending that all renewable energy implementing agencies include a minimum 2-hour ESS, equal to 10 per cent of the installed solar capacity, in upcoming solar tenders.