Clean energy powers over half of India's electricity demand in major milestone
New Delhi, July 8
India achieved a significant milestone in its energy transition as clean energy sources accounted for more than half of the country's electricity generation during a period of peak daytime demand, highlighting the growing role of renewable power in the national grid.
According to data from the Power Ministry's Merit Order Despatch of Electricity for Rejuvenation of Income and Transparency (MERIT) platform, clean energy sources -- including renewable energy, hydropower and nuclear power -- supplied 50.02 per cent of India's total electricity demand of 221.5 GW at 11:46 a.m. on July 6.
The achievement marks the second consecutive year that clean energy has met more than 50 per cent of the country's electricity demand at a given point in time, reflecting the rapid expansion of non-fossil fuel generation capacity.
Experts said the trend has become increasingly consistent in recent months. Disha Aggarwal, Fellow at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), said clean energy has met more than 45 per cent of India's total electricity demand on 50 days since May this year.
"This already signals a lasting change in the supply mix. CEEW research shows that the next frontier will be to scale flexible energy storage, along with large-scale and distributed renewable energy systems, to meet increasing shares of the evening demand with low-cost renewables," Aggarwal said.
Power demand has moderated in recent weeks as widespread rainfall brought relief from extreme summer temperatures. Data from the state-run Grid Controller of India showed that peak power demand eased to 222.5 GW on July 6 before rising to 230 GW on July 7.
The demand remains well below the all-time high of 270.8 GW recorded in May this year during an intense heatwave. In 2025, India's peak electricity demand had reached 243 GW in June, slightly lower than the previous year's record of 250 GW in May. The government has projected peak power demand to touch 271 GW in 2026.
India's installed power generation capacity stood at 542.3 GW as of May 31. Of this, thermal power accounts for 250.8 GW, while renewable energy capacity has reached 282.7 GW, underscoring the country's expanding clean energy portfolio.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is great progress, but I worry about the 250 GW of thermal capacity still sitting there. We've made strides, but coal plants are still running most of the time. The real test will be when summer heatwaves push demand past 270 GW – can renewables handle it then? Need more battery storage and grid upgrades urgently.
As someone working in the power sector, I can tell you this shift is real. Last summer, we saw record solar generation during daytime. The challenge now is evening peak when solar drops – that's where pumped hydro and batteries come in. Kudos to CEEW for highlighting the need for flexible storage. India is showing the world how to scale renewables! 🇮🇳
Impressive milestone! I've been following India's energy transition from abroad, and the pace of renewable installation is remarkable. The 282 GW of renewable capacity is a huge number. Curious to see how they manage grid stability and whether the storage infrastructure can keep up with the growing demand. Good luck India!
Happy to see this progress but let's not forget the air quality benefits. Every MW of solar or wind displaces coal, which means fewer respiratory illnesses. The health dividend alone justifies the investment. Now if only states could speed up land acquisition for solar parks and transmission lines...
Good news no doubt, but the details matter: this 50% was achieved during a single peak hour on a cool July day. What about the 99% of other hours? The article says thermal is 250 GW vs renewable 282 GW – but thermal runs at much higher capacity factors. We need honest accounting. That said, the trend
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