Analysis

Features | Analysis

India’s installed power capacity crosses 513 GW by end-2025
By January 20, 2026January 20, 2026

India’s installed electricity generation capacity crossed 513 GW by the end of 2025, with renewable sources, including large hydro, accounting for nearly half the total, according to the latest Central Electricity Authority (CEA) report. The country’s total capacity stood at 513,729.69 MW, or about 513.7 GW, as of December 31, 2025. Thermal power, predominantly coal, remains the backbone of the generation fleet, contributing 246.94 GW. Renewable energy sources, when including large hydroelectric projects, together formed…

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Features | Analysis

India’s transmission grid buildout: capacity growth and project pipeline
By January 19, 2026January 19, 2026

India’s national electrical transmission and distribution infrastructure shows sustained expansion, selective modernisation, and ongoing execution challenges. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) data up to December 2025 highlights steady capacity additions, a strong intra-state buildout, and a growing project pipeline linked to renewable energy integration. Transformation capacity overview The cumulative transformation capacity for substations rated at 220 kV and above has reached 1,406,991 MVA. During FY 2025-26, up to December, 69,478 MVA was added. December alone…

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Analysis | Features

India’s power challenge moves beyond generation to system optimisation
By January 19, 2026January 19, 2026

India’s power sector has transitioned from addressing chronic shortages to managing a complex landscape of over-capacity, urban distribution challenges, and a large industrial self-generation fleet, according to official data. Recent reports from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) indicate the national priority is shifting from simply adding generation capacity to optimising utilisation and integrating diverse energy sources. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA), in its reports All India Electricity Statistics – General Review and Growth of Electricity…

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Opinions and Perspective | Analysis

From Turbines to Transmission: Integrating Wind into India’s Future Grid
By January 15, 2026January 15, 2026

By Consolidated Energy Consultants Limited (CECL) India’s energy transition entered a defining moment in January 2026 with a series of central and state actions designed to embed variable renewable energy, particularly wind, deeper into grid operations and long-term capacity planning. These initiatives reflect a clear evolution: from simply adding capacity to fundamentally re-engineering how the grid thinks about dispatchability, frequency management, and multi-modal evacuation. Key Central Initiatives: Making Wind and Solar Grid-Responsive At the heart…

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Features | Analysis

CAG flags planning and execution gaps in DDUGJY and SAUBHAGYA schemes
By December 26, 2025December 26, 2025

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has reported major deficiencies in the planning, execution, financial management, and monitoring of the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) and the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA). The Government of India launched the schemes to improve rural electricity access and reliability. The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) began in December 2014 to separate agricultural and non-agricultural feeders, strengthen sub-transmission and distribution…

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Features | Analysis

COP30 agrees on finance and forests but not on fossil fuel timelines
By November 23, 2025November 24, 2025

The 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) concluded on November 22, having extended one day beyond its scheduled end. COP30 ended with the Global Mutirão Agreement, a political package that sets a new climate finance target and commits countries to prepare two major roadmaps. One will focus on ending deforestation, and one will outline a transition away from fossil fuels. The agreement avoided binding phase-out…

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Analysis | Features

India’s 37 GW ultra supercritical pipeline to support rising renewable demand
By November 23, 2025November 23, 2025

Thermal power remains central to India’s electricity system. It continues to anchor grid stability even as renewable capacity grows at a rapid pace. According to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), India’s total installed capacity reached 500,889 MW by the end of September 2025. Thermal power accounted for 244,800 MW, or 48.87 per cent of the total. Renewable energy, including solar, wind, small hydro, and biomass, reached a 39.37 per cent share. Hydropower, nuclear power, and…

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Features | Analysis

The Bustard case and the clash between conservation and clean energy
By November 16, 2025November 16, 2025

The Great Indian Bustard is close to extinction. Fewer than 200 birds remain in the wild, and most of them live in the arid grasslands of Rajasthan and Gujarat. The species is among the heaviest flying birds in the world and depends on large, undisturbed grasslands to survive. Its numbers have declined due to shrinking habitat, predation, invasive species and a very low reproductive rate. The primary threat today is collision with overhead power lines…

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Analysis | Features | Finance

India’s renewable energy IPO landscape in 2025
By November 16, 2025November 16, 2025

India’s renewable energy sector saw strong activity in the public markets through 2025. Many companies filed draft papers, secured approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), or closed successful public issues. Solar manufacturing companies lead the filing momentum The first part of the year saw many companies in solar manufacturing prepare for large capacity additions. Vikram Solar received approval for a public issue of up to Rs 15 billion through a fresh…

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Analysis | Features

CEA proposes Rs 6.4 lakh crore transmission plan for 76 GW Brahmaputra hydropower
By October 27, 2025October 27, 2025

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has proposed a Rs 6.42-lakh-crore plan to build a transmission network to evacuate over 76 gigawatts (GW) of hydropower from Brahmaputra Basin projects by 2047. The plan aims to meet rising electricity demand and reduce dependence on coal. The initiative covers 208 large hydro projects across 12 sub-basins in northeastern India, with 64.9 GW of potential capacity and an additional 11.1 GW from pumped-storage plants. Phase I, up to 2035,…

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