• The Union Cabinet gave its nod to investing Rs 12,031 crore for laying transmission lines to evacuate electricity generated from renewable power projects in seven states. 

• The project, called Green Energy Corridor (GEC) Phase-II for Intra-State Transmission System (InSTS), would involve laying 10,750 circuit kilometers (ckm) of transmission lines by 2026.

• The scheme’s total estimated cost is Rs 12,031.33 crore, including Central Financial Assistance (CFA) of 33 per cent of the project cost (about Rs 3970.34 crore).  

• The scheme will facilitate grid integration and power evacuation of about 20 GW of renewable energy (RE) projects in seven states — Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. 

• The transmission systems will be created over 5 years during 2021-22 to 2025-26 fiscal years. 

• About 80 per cent of the phase one work has been completed. The outlay of the first phase was Rs 10,142 crore. 

• The CFA will help in offsetting the intra-state transmission charges and keep the power costs down. Thus, the government support will ultimately benefit the end users. 

• The scheme will help in achieving the target of 450 GW installed RE capacity by 2030. 

• It will also contribute to long-term energy security of the country and promote ecologically sustainable growth by reducing the carbon footprint.

• Besides, the project will generate large direct and indirect employment opportunities for both skilled and unskilled personnel in power and other related sectors. 

• This scheme is in addition to GEC Phase-I which is already under implementation in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu for grid integration and power evacuation of about 24 GW of RE. 

• The phase-I of Green Energy Corridor is for addition of 9,700 circuit kilometer (ckm) of transmission lines and 22,600 MVA capacity of substations having estimated cost of transmission projects of Rs 10,141.68 crore, with CFA of Rs 4,056.67 crore.

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