CEA Issues New RoW Guidelines for Forest Transmission Lines Using Advanced Conductor Tech

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has issued revised Right-of-Way (RoW) requirements for construction of transmission lines in forest areas under the Central Electricity Authority (Technical Standards for Construction of Electrical Plants and Electric Lines) Amendment Regulations, 2025, notified on 09 October 2025. The amendments incorporate reduced RoW widths based on a CEA Report dated 24 September 2024 regarding technological options such as Lattice towers with High Temperature Low Sag (HTLS) conductors and Monopole Towers with ACSR/HTLS conductors. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) vide Guidelines dated 03 July 2026 has also referred to the new RoW requirements and encouraged stakeholders to adopt new technological innovations to reduce forest area requirements. CEA has directed all concerned stakeholders to adopt the revised RoW requirements prescribed under Schedule VII of the Amendment Regulations while planning and executing transmission line projects in forest areas. The RoW width can be reduced by up to 20% in forest areas through improved tower and conductor technologies, significantly minimizing tree felling and overall impact on forest ecosystems.