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India will defer maintenance shutdowns at thermal power plants and operationalise additional capacity to ensure around 10,000 MW of extra supply during peak summer demand, the Ministry of Power said on Friday, as it moved to strengthen short-term electricity availability amid global uncertainty. Power plants have to annual take a shutdown for maintenance and repair of wear-and-tear in the machinery but this has been posted to make available electricity to meet peak demand, said Piyush Singh, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Power, at a media briefing. This will help augment 10,000 megawatt (MW) of generation, which will more than compensate for the 8,000 MW of generating capacity lost because of disruption in liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies due to the war in West Asia, he said. Also, imported coal-based plants are being fully operationalised and adequate coal stocks are being maintained at thermal stations to address near-term supply pressures. India's electricity syste
Union Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal on Saturday stressed the need for an "energy mix" approach to meet long-term power demand and asked Rajasthan power utilities to accelerate projects based on a combination of renewable and conventional sources. During a review meeting with senior officials of the state's energy department and power companies here, Agarwal said bundling renewable and non-renewable energy sources would help manage the rising electricity demand more efficiently. He noted that decentralised solar projects under the PM-KUSUM Scheme have gained momentum in Rajasthan, but also flagged challenges related to the grid integration of solar power. The Union Power Secretary emphasised the need to strengthen grid stability and to develop battery energy storage systems in a timely manner to ensure an uninterrupted power supply during peak hours, as per an official statement. He also reviewed issues such as daytime electricity supply to the agriculture sector in 24 districts, l
State-owned Coal India Limited (CIL) on Friday said it is geared up to meet a potential surge in summer coal demand, dismissing concerns of domestic fuel shortages as power consumption begins to rise. The company said a three-tier buffer across the supply chain - pithead stock, coal inventory at thermal power plants and ready-to-extract in-situ reserves - ensures comfortable availability ahead of the peak demand season. CIL's producing subsidiaries were holding 115 million tonnes (MT) of coal at pitheads as of February 26, 2026, a figure expected to rise further by the close of the fiscal year. Power plants typically require significantly higher quantities of coal during the summer months as electricity demand surges across the country. Rising temperatures lead to increased use of air conditioners, coolers, refrigerators and irrigation pumps, pushing peak power consumption to annual highs. Coal-based thermal power dominates India's electricity generation, accounting for roughly 70
Peak power demand is unlikely to touch the projected 277 GW this summer as intermittent rains have reduced the use of cooling appliances such as air conditioners, a top government official said on Friday. "No, I don't think that it (peak power demand) will go to that level now. If this kind of rain continues, then it will not reach," Ghanshyam Prasad, the Chairperson of Central Electricity Authority (CEA) told PTI on the sidelines of BNEF Summit in the national capital. The regulatory body chief was responding to a question whether the peak power demand would touch the projected level of 277 GW. The CEA formulates short-term and perspective plans for the development of the electricity system, and coordinates the activities of the planning agencies. The government had projected 277 gigawatt (GW) of peak power demand for 2025-26. Various government sources had expected the peak demand to hit the 277 GW level by September. Prasad also said that 277 GW was not a target, but a projecti
The thermal power segment is expected to attract Rs 2.3 lakh crore worth of investments over the next three fiscals, on account of renewed focus to help meet India's growing energy demand, Crisil Ratings said on Wednesday. The capital expenditure in thermal power stood at Rs 1.1 lakh crore over the three fiscals through 2025, Crisil Ratings said in a report. "Investments to set up thermal electricity generation capacities will double to Rs 2.3 lakh crore over the three fiscals through 2028, compared with the preceding three fiscals, because of renewed focus on the segment to help meet India's growing demand for energy and base load power requirement," it said. In the preceding three fiscals, private companies accounted for only 7-8 per cent of the investments. On expanded investment levels over the next three fiscals, private companies will contribute nearly a third, with central and state public sector undertakings accounting for the balance. The government has set a target of at