A Multi-Criteria Decision Support Framework for Sustainable Transmission Line Right-of-Way Planning in India.

– Expansion of high-voltage transmission networks is essential for integrating renewable energy and ensuring reliable electricity supply in emerging economies such as India. However, the acquisition and management of transmission line Right-of-Way (ROW) remain among the most critical barriers to timely project implementation due to stakeholder conflicts, environmental concerns, land-use constraints, and vegetation management challenges. Existing planning approaches in the electricity sector often treat technical optimization, stakeholder engagement, and environmental sustainability as separate processes, resulting in project delays, increased costs, and reduced social acceptance. This paper proposes a Multi-Criteria Decision Support Framework (MCDSF) for sustainable transmission line Right-of-Way planning in India. Building on prior research on stakeholder engagement in electricity sector interventions, large-scale energy project participation strategies, multi-criteria decision aiding, socio-economic implications of ROW corridors, and vegetation management practices, the study integrates technical, environmental, economic, and social dimensions into a unified socio-technical planning model. The proposed framework combines Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) with structured stakeholder participation to support transparent and evidence-based route selection and corridor management. The framework identifies key evaluation criteria including land acquisition complexity, environmental sensitivity, vegetation risks, community acceptance, reliability impacts, and lifecycle costs. A participatory decision process is embedded to incorporate government agencies, utilities, local communities, and environmental stakeholders into planning and prioritization.