Approximately 50% of India’s 191 coal-fired power plants are currently facing severe fuel shortages, driven by an unprecedented spike in electricity demand amid unusually high temperatures associated with El Niño, according to government statistics. 

• As of October 19, the count of power plants facing critically low coal reserves—those with enough fuel to sustain operations for less than three days—has surged to 96, up from 60 in mid-September, according to the Central Electricity Authority’s data.
• This alarming shortage persists despite the coal ministry’s announcement last week that it has increased coal deliveries to power facilities.
• The total coal inventory at power stations across India has decreased by approximately 5% since the start of the month, the data indicates.
• This year, daily peak electricity demand has been approximately 45 to 50 gigawatts higher than the previous year, largely due to diminished hydroelectric output from weaker monsoon rains, leading to greater dependence on thermal power plants.
• In September, the gap between India’s power demand and electricity supply increased to In September, the disparity between electricity demand and supply in India widened to 560 million kilowatt-hours (kWh), marking the highest level since August 2023, even as coal-fired plants ramped up production to satisfy the robust demand. increase in September compared to the same month last year, while hydropower generation experienced a decline of 20% year-on-year, as reported by the CEA.
• India is adding renewable energy, with nearly 55% of power generation coming from non-fossil-based sources, ⁠but ​a lack of batteries to save ​the clean energy is driving the South Asian nation to depend on coal-based ​power during high-demand periods

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