Key facts
- Over 4% of India's solar power generated in July and August was curtailed due to grid and operational constraints.
- Approximately 1.835 billion units of renewable energy, primarily solar, were curtailed during July and August.
- Solar power's share of India's total capacity reached 44% (243 GW) in August 2026, up from 39% (193 GW) in August 2025.
- Coal and lignite installations accounted for 42% of India's power capacity (231 GW) as of August.
- The number of coal plants with stocks below 25% of normative requirements rose from 32 on August 22 to 85 on October 1.
India's significant growth in solar power generation was hampered by substantial curtailments in July and August due to grid and operational constraints, according to a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). Over 4% of the solar power generated during these months had to be curtailed.
Solar power has been the primary driver of renewable generation growth in India, accounting for 58% of the increase in the second quarter of fiscal year 2026/2027. CREA's analysis showed solar generation increased by 39% year-on-year in that quarter, outpacing wind (29%) and nuclear (26%), though hydropower declined by 20%.
Despite setting a new daily record of 705 million units on September 30, significant volumes of renewable electricity continued to be curtailed. Analysts noted that approximately 1.835 billion units of renewable energy, mostly solar, were curtailed in July and August.
The curtailments occurred as India's energy demand surged between July and September, while coal plants operated with critically low inventories. The number of coal plants with stocks below 25% of normative requirements increased sharply from 32 on August 22 to 85 on October 1.
To address these issues and improve flexibility, India plans to implement a regulation from July 2027 requiring developers of new solar and wind energy projects to install battery storage.