Growth in India's coal-fired electricity generation slowed in August 2026 while renewable output rose sharply, according to Grid-India data.

India's total power generation climbed 11.6% from a year earlier to 180 TWh in August, as a prolonged heatwave and below-normal rainfall pushed up cooling demand and cut hydropower availability.

Coal-fired generation grew 11.3% year on year to 116.28 TWh last month, down from nearly 13% in July and about 14% in June. Renewable power generation, including solar, wind and small hydro, jumped by 42.1% on the year to 35.14 TWh. Hydropower generation fell by 16.7% to 21.5 TWh.

Despite rapid rise in solar and wind capacity, strong electricity demand in India during non-solar hours continues to underpin coal consumption. Uneven monsoon rainfall also affected coal mining and deliveries, leaving stockpiles at 46 Indian power plants at critically low levels as of August 26, showed data from the Central Electricity Authority.