The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) on May 19, 2026, issued a notice inviting comments on Amendment-II to the Central Electricity Authority (Manual on Transmission Planning Criteria), 2023.
The following has been amended:
• The amendment primarily updates transmission planning standards to support future grid expansion, including the introduction of 1150 kV ultra-high-voltage AC transmission systems. It prescribes new voltage limits, fault-clearing requirements, short-circuit ratings, reactor capacities, substation capacities, and contingency criteria for 1150 kV networks.
• The draft also classifies data centres as critical loads requiring 100% redundancy and, as far as possible, supply from two independent sources. Additionally, it revises conductor parameters, thermal loading limits, load factors, and renewable energy capacity factors used in planning studies.
• The amendment introduces detailed generic modelling requirements for modern grid technologies such as VSC-HVDC systems, wind farms, solar parks, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), grid-forming inverters, virtual synchronous machines, renewable energy plant controllers, and STATCOMs.
• Comments/Suggestions are invited till June 08, 2026.
