UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — ‘Inflexible electricity grids are causing dangerous situations’
Q1. With reference to the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (Connectivity and General Network Access to the Inter-State Transmission System) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2025, consider the following statements:
1. The Third Amendment introduced distinct 'solar-hour' and 'non-solar-hour' connectivity access, a categorisation absent in the parent Connectivity Regulations.
2. Solar hours under the amended regime are declared on a weekly basis by the National Load Despatch Centre (NLDC) based on anticipated solar insolation.
3. The amendment restricts 'non-solar-hour access' exclusively to thermal generators, expressly excluding wind projects and standalone battery energy storage systems.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The Third Amendment introduced distinct 'solar-hour' and 'non-solar-hour' connectivity access, a categorisation absent in the parent Connectivity Regulations.
- Solar hours under the amended regime are declared on a weekly basis by the National Load Despatch Centre (NLDC) based on anticipated solar insolation.
- The amendment restricts 'non-solar-hour access' exclusively to thermal generators, expressly excluding wind projects and standalone battery energy storage systems.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q2. With reference to institutional and regulatory measures adopted in India to manage the inflexibility of the electricity grid arising from variable renewable energy integration, consider the following:
1. Flexibilisation of operations of coal-based thermal generating stations
2. CERC Connectivity and GNA (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2025 introducing solar-hour access
3. Renewable Energy Management Centres co-located with Load Despatch Centres
4. Establishment of State Electricity Boards (SEBs) under the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948 to enable real-time forecasting of solar and wind generation
Which of the above is/are NOT correctly identified as a measure for managing grid inflexibility from variable renewable energy?
- Flexibilisation of operations of coal-based thermal generating stations
- CERC Connectivity and GNA (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2025 introducing solar-hour access
- Renewable Energy Management Centres co-located with Load Despatch Centres
- Establishment of State Electricity Boards (SEBs) under the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948 to enable real-time forecasting of solar and wind generation
- A. 1 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 4 only
- D. 1 and 4 only
Q3. As referenced by the Central Electricity Authority in 2025, approximately what quantum of energy storage capacity (in GWh) has been estimated as required by 2029-30 to facilitate reliable integration of renewable energy into the Indian electricity grid?
- A. 211 GWh
- B. 336 GWh
- C. 411 GWh
- D. 500 GWh
Q4. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA), which has flagged the rising risk of grid oscillations from variable renewable energy integration, derives its present statutory status from which one of the following enactments?
- A. Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948
- B. Electricity Regulatory Commissions Act, 1998
- C. Energy Conservation Act, 2001
- D. Electricity Act, 2003