India's renewable generation hits record high in July, coal share falls to 1-year low
New Delhi: India's renewable power generation surged to a record high in July, pushing coal's share in the country's electricity mix to its lowest level in a year, according to government data. The development marks a significant step in India's clean-energy transition, even as coal remains the dominant source of power.
Renewable power — including solar, wind, and other clean sources — accounted for 20% of India's total electricity generation in July, up from 17.3% in the same month last year. The output stood at 36.25 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), a 30% year-on-year increase, as per data from Grid-India, the national power regulator.
Coal's share in the power mix fell to 65.7% in July from 69% in June, according to calculations based on daily data from Grid-India. Despite this decline, coal-fired power generation rose 12.8% year-on-year to 119.40 billion kWh in July, reflecting an overall surge in electricity demand.
The spike in renewable generation comes as India's combined solar and wind power capacity crossed 100 gigawatts for the first time. On July 13, these sources together supplied a record 42.8% of the country's electricity demand during the daytime, government data showed.
Manoj Kumar, an analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), said the rising share of renewables in India's power generation is driven by increased solar output during peak daytime demand. 'Most of the peak power demand is happening during daytime where there is increased contribution from solar,' he said.
However, analysts attribute the continued growth in coal-fired power to a drop in hydropower generation and the impact of El Nino, which has caused searing heat and higher nighttime cooling demand. Hydropower generation fell for a second consecutive month in July, declining 22.1% year-on-year due to lower rainfall linked to El Nino, a weather pattern that shifts rainfall and raises temperatures.
CREA warned that lower hydro output, combined with rising power demand, could create a generation gap of nearly 18 billion kWh in the coming months, potentially driving a further surge in coal-based electricity. India's total electricity generation in July rose 10.4% from a year earlier to 181.79 billion kWh, the data showed.
The trend underscores the dual challenge for India: expanding renewable capacity to meet climate goals while ensuring reliable power supply to a growing economy, particularly during extreme weather events. Experts say accelerated grid modernisation and energy storage will be crucial to reduce dependence on coal in the long term.
