Stories
India's Power Shortages Hit 3-Year High in September Despite Increased Coal Generation
- •India's power shortages reached 560 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) in September, the highest since August 2023, driven by surging demand and an El Niño weather pattern.
- •Despite higher coal-fired generation (up 13.3% in September), a decline in hydropower due to weaker rainfall and lack of battery storage contributed to the shortages.
- •The share of coal in overall generation rose to 66.03% in September, while clean energy's share dropped to about 17% despite a 25.1% increase in renewable power generation.
- •Industrial consumption and maintenance at several power plants led to a rise in peak power demand, exacerbating the shortages.
- •Overall electricity generation in India increased by 11.3% year-on-year in September, reaching 174.17 billion kWh.
Key Questions Answered
India's power shortages surged to 560 million kilowatt-hours in September. This increase was driven by an El Niño weather pattern and higher industrial activity that raised peak power demand, alongside a decline in hydropower generation from weaker rainfall and a lack of battery storage for clean energy.
Coal-fired generation rose by 13.3% in September compared to the previous year, with its share in overall generation increasing to 66.03%. Despite this higher capacity utilization, about two out of five coal plants operated with critically low fuel stocks.
Renewable power generation increased by 25.1% to reach 29.62 billion kWh in September. However, due to surging overall electricity demand and lower hydropower output, clean energy's share in total power generation dropped to about 17% from 19.5% in August.
