India's peak power demand surges 12% amid El Niño, government assures ample supply

India's peak electricity demand rose by approximately 12% during April to June this year compared to the same period last year, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar informed the Lok Sabha. The increase was attributed to the development of El Niño conditions, which led to higher electricity consumption.

The all-time high peak demand of 270.8 GW was successfully met in May, and in July, demand again exceeded 270 GW twice, also met successfully. The government stated that adequate electricity is now available across the country.

In response to questions from MPs V. Vaithilingam (Congress) and S. Jagathratchakan (DMK) on challenges from rising summer demand and contingency plans, the Minister highlighted several measures. The country recorded an all-time high Variable Renewable Energy generation of 103.7 GW in July—75 GW solar and 28.7 GW wind. Installed power generation capacity stood at 548.86 GW as of June 2026, with 324.7 GW added since April 2024, transforming India from power-deficit to power-sufficient.

Transmission capacity was augmented, with total inter-regional capacity reaching 1,20,340 MW. The Ministry emphasised diversifying electricity generation through an optimal energy mix. Coal-based generation capacity is about 230.8 GW, contributing 69.54% of total electricity supplied during April-June. As of July 17, 41.4 million tonnes of coal was available at thermal plants—sufficient for 13 days at 85% Plant Load Factor. Coal supplies are meeting daily demands.

Gas-based generation accounts for less than 2% of the overall basket, and geopolitical issues in East Asia have had minimal impact on energy availability. A record generation capacity addition of 64,695 MW was achieved during 2025-26, with 50,905 MW from renewable sources (excluding large hydro), surpassing the previous record of 34,054 MW in 2024-25.

For long-term plans, the focus is on non-fossil sources, which now exceed 54% of total installed capacity. The government aims for 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030. The Central Electricity Authority's National Generation Adequacy Plan (March 2026) projects non-fossil capacity to increase to 786 GW by 2035-36. India also targets 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047.