India’s Peak Power Demand Climbs 12 Percent in April-June 2026

India’s peak electricity demand increased by around 12 percent during the April-June 2026 period compared with the corresponding period last year, driven partly by the development of El Niño conditions, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal said in a written reply to Parliament.

The minister said that electricity demand is expected to remain elevated. India successfully met an all-time high peak power demand of 270.8 GW in May 2026. In July, peak demand crossed the 270 GW mark twice, with the power system meeting the requirement without any reported shortage.

At the same time, the country recorded an all-time high variable renewable energy generation of 103.7 GW in July 2026. Solar power accounted for 75 GW of this generation, while the remaining contribution came from wind energy.

India’s total installed power generation capacity stood at 548.86 GW as of June 2026. The minister said  that the country has added 324.7 GW of generation capacity since April 2014, helping it transition from a power deficit to a power sufficient position.

Coal and lignite based power plants, with an installed capacity of 230.8 GW, accounted for 69.54 percent of total electricity supplied during April-June 2026. During non-solar peak hours, coal based generation reached up to 188.8 GW, representing nearly 75 percent of the 251.4 GW generated during those hours.

The government also reported that thermal power plants held 41.4 million tonnes of coal stock as of July 18, 2026, sufficient for around 13 days of operation at an 85 percent plant load factor. Daily coal arrivals were also reported to be matching current requirements.

India added a record 64,695 MW of generation capacity during FY 2025-26, including 50,905 MW from renewable energy sources excluding large hydro. The renewable capacity addition was the country's highest in a single year, surpassing the previous record of 34,054 MW in FY 2024-25.

The ministry further said that India recorded zero energy shortage in FY 2025-26, compared with 4.2 percent in FY 2013-14. The country also achieved its target of deriving 50 percent of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources five years ahead of the 2030 deadline.