Description

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Picture Courtesy: DOWNTOEARTH

Context

The Supreme Court revised the Green Energy Corridor framework in Rajasthan and Gujarat to balance renewable energy goals with the protection of the Great Indian Bustard (GIB).

What is Great Indian Bustard (GIB)?

Conservation Status: Listed as 'Critically Endangered' on the IUCN Red List.
Habitat: Found in the arid and semi-arid grasslands of Rajasthan (Desert National Park) and Gujarat.
Primary Threat: High mortality rate due to collision with overhead high-voltage power lines, which have low frontal visibility for the birds.

What Green Energy Corridor (GEC) Project?

It was launched in 2015, to create a dedicated transmission network for integrating electricity from renewable sources like solar and wind into the national grid.

It aims to transport large-scale renewable power from energy-rich states to high-demand areas, ensuring grid stability and minimizing energy wastage.

The project is implemented through two main systems: Intra-State (within states, led by state utilities) and Inter-State (across states, led by POWERGRID).

Main Objectives & Significance

Grid Integration: Synchronizing fluctuating renewable power with the main grid using advanced Renewable Energy Management Centres (REMCs).
Energy Security: Supporting national goal of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, part of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Economic Impact: Creating large-scale employment for both skilled and unskilled workers during infrastructure development.
Environmental Benefit: Reducing reliance on coal and mitigating CO₂ emissions; for example, the Ladakh project alone is expected to replace significant fossil fuel generation.

Judicial intervention

The Supreme Court's intervention has been a multi-year process, evolving from a blanket ban to a more calibrated approach.

	Key Directive	Impact on GEC
April 2021	Ordered all overhead power lines in a vast GIB habitat (nearly 99,000 sq. km) to be placed underground.	GEC project approval and commissioning delays created uncertainty, threatening to strand almost 9 GW of solar capacity.
March 2024	Acknowledging universal undergrounding was practically and financially infeasible, the 2021 order was modified. An Expert Committee was appointed to recommend a balanced solution.	Granted interim relief and established a more scientific, practical framework for conservation and energy transmission.
Recent Framework (Based on Committee Recommendations)	The Court accepted the committee’s "zonal approach," which replaces universal bans with location-specific mandates.

Key Directives of the Final Judgement

Conservation in Priority & Potential Areas

The Expert Committee, whose recommendations the court has largely accepted, has demarcated GIB habitats into priority and potential zones, with specific rules for each.

Priority Areas: Critical conservation zones require all new overhead power lines to be buried, and existing lines must have bird flight diverters.
Potential Areas: New transmission lines in these zones must be underground. Overhead lines require expert committee approval and high-quality bird diverters, permitted only if undergrounding is infeasible.
Project Restrictions: The framework caps new renewable projects in priority conservation zones to minimize habitat disruption.

Source: DOWNTOEARTH

Attempt Daily Quiz

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. The recent Supreme Court judgment on the Green Energy Corridor exemplifies the complex challenge of balancing infrastructural development with environmental conservation. Critically analyze. 250 words

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The GEC is a nationwide project to create a dedicated transmission network for electricity generated from renewable sources like solar and wind. It aims to connect renewable-energy-rich states with high-demand states, ensuring seamless integration of clean energy into the national grid.

The RPA is a specific zone covering approximately 13,000 sq. km in Rajasthan and Gujarat. It is legally recognized as the most critical habitat for the remaining GIBs. Within this zone, the installation of new overhead lines is strictly regulated and subject to expert committee approval.

Firefly Bird Flight Diverters are reflective flaps installed on overhead wires. They shine and rotate in the wind, making the wires visible to birds from a distance to prevent collisions. Their installation is now mandatory in specific "Priority Areas".