FILE PHOTO: India’s coal-fired power plants are facing critically low fuel stocks amid surging electricity demand and a decline in hydropower generation. | Photo Credit: RAJESH N

Half of India's 191 coal-fired power plants ​are operating with critically low fuel stocks due ‌to a surge in power demand amid ​hotter-than-usual weather linked to El Niño, ⁠government data showed.

* The number of power plants with critically low coal stocks — which only ‌have enough fuel supply to generate power for less than three days — rose ‌to 96 as of October 19 ‌from ⁠60 plants in mid-September, data from ⁠the Central Electricity Authority showed

* The shortages are occurring even as India's coal ministry said last week that it ​has ramped up ‌supplies to power plants

* India's total coal stocks at power stations have fallen by about 5% since the beginning of the ‌month, the data showed

* Daily peak ​electricity demand this year has been running about 45 gigawatts to 50 GW ⁠higher than a year earlier, partly because weaker monsoon rains reduced hydroelectric output and increased reliance ‌on thermal plants

* In September, the gap between India's power demand and electricity supply increased to 560 million kilowatt-hours (kWh), the highest since August 2023, even as coal-fired plants increased output to meet strong demand

* Coal-fired ‌generation rose 13.3% in September from a year earlier, ​while hydropower generation fell 20% from a year ago, the CEA data ⁠showed

* 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

Published on October 21, 2026