In a major push to accelerate India’s clean-energy transition, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Rs 1.86 lakh crore Green Energy Corridor Phase-III (GEC-III) scheme.The initiative is aimed at strengthening intra-state power transmission networks and enabling the evacuation of up to 135 GW of renewable energy across states and UTs.The scheme, targeted for completion by FY 2032-33, has a total outlay of Rs 1,86,405 crore — Rs 1,36,378 crore for the development and strengthening of intra-state transmission systems (InSTS) and Rs 50,000 crore for deploying 50 GWh of battery energy storage systems (BESS).The Centre will provide Rs 54,082 crore in central financial support to offset intra-state transmission charges and help contain the cost of renewable power for consumers.The proposed transmission infrastructure will help address challenges associated with the growing share of intermittent renewable sources such as solar and wind power. The 50 GWh BESS capacity will provide additional grid flexibility by helping manage intermittency, transmission congestion, peak-hour curtailment and electricity demand during non-solar hours.Under the InSTS component, all Greenfield projects will be implemented through the tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) route. Brownfield upgrades and network-strengthening works will be undertaken on a cost plus basis.The state transmission utilities will serve as the overall implementing agencies; while transmission service providers will participate in TBCB projects under a build-own-operate-maintain model.The government said the scheme will support India’s goal of achieving 900 GW of installed non-fossil fuel-based capacity by 2035. By expanding transmission infrastructure and storage capacity, the GEC-III is also expected to strengthen long-term energy security and support the integration of renewable power into the national electricity system.The initiative is further expected to create direct and indirect employment across the power, manufacturing and construction sectors. The expansion of BESS manufacturing and deployment will support jobs in India’s domestic energy-storage industry, while the expanded transmission network is expected to create long-term skilled employment in operations, maintenance and grid management.