Coal remains backbone of India's power supply despite renewable push, govt tells Parliament
New Delhi, July 23
Coal continues to remain the backbone of India's electricity system despite the country's rapid renewable energy expansion, with the government telling Parliament that coal-based plants supplied nearly 70 per cent of the country's electricity during the peak summer months and around three-fourths of generation during evening peak demand.
Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha on rising electricity demand, the Ministry of Power said coal (including lignite)-based plants accounted for 69.54 per cent of electricity supplied during April-June 2026. It added that these plants generated 188.8 GW, "around 75% of the total generation" during non-solar peak demand hours, underlining coal's continued role in meeting demand even as renewable energy capacity expands.
The reply also indicates that the government is increasingly looking beyond capacity addition to manage rising electricity demand by encouraging changes in consumption patterns. It said distribution companies have been asked to "promote and implement energy efficiency measures" to optimise electricity use, including cooling and pumping loads, encourage electric vehicle charging during daytime solar hours and shift agricultural demand to daytime where possible.
The government said electricity demand has risen sharply due to El Nino conditions, with peak demand during April-June increasing around 12 per cent over the corresponding period last year. Despite this, it said the all-time high peak demand of 270.8 GW recorded in May was "successfully met", while demand crossed 270 GW twice again in July, which was also met successfully.
The ministry maintained that adequate power is available in the country, saying thermal power plants had 41.4 million tonnes of coal stock as on July 18, sufficient for 13 days at 85 per cent plant load factor. It also said gas-based generation accounts for less than 2 per cent of the country's power mix and therefore "the geopolitical issues in Middle East has had minimum impact on energy availability in the country."
Highlighting improvements in supply, the government said average daily electricity availability in rural areas has increased from 12.5 hours in FY14 to 22.6 hours in FY26, while urban supply rose from 22.1 hours to 23.4 hours. It also said India's energy shortage declined to 0.0 per cent in FY2025-26, compared with 4.2 per cent in FY2013-14, reflecting what it described as a significant improvement in supply adequacy.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I appreciate the transparency, but 13 days of coal stock seems low for a country our size. What if there's a supply chain disruption? We need to buffer better. Also, the improvement in rural electricity hours from 12.5 to 22.6 is genuinely impressive—my village relatives have noticed the difference. Keep it up!
Interesting to see that even with all the renewable targets, coal is still king during non-solar hours. The 75% figure for evening peak is a stark reminder that battery storage is still not scalable enough. India needs a hybrid strategy—more renewables for the day, plus cleaner coal tech and hydro for the night.
The energy shortage dropping to 0.0% is a big deal! I remember the days of frequent power cuts in Bengaluru—unbearable. Now it's mostly stable. But I worry about the environment—coal is still dirty. Wish we could speed up the renewable transition without compromising on reliability. Arre, it's a tough balancing act.
Good to see the government being honest about coal's role rather than greenwashing. The shift in consumption patterns—like EV charging in daytime—is a smart move. But the 12% demand spike due to El Nino is concerning. Climate change is making our summers brutal, and we need more resilient power infrastructure. Hope the investments in grid stability continue.
The stats on rural electricity are amazing—22.6 hours average now versus 12.5 a decade ago. That's real progress for farmers and small businesses. But I feel a bit sad that coal is still so dominant.
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