India's Power Demand Rises This Month As Coal Shortage Lingers: Report
NDTV
Increased economic activity after the second wave of the coronavirus has driven up electricity demand, resulting in a supply deficit due to a coal shortage that has forced northern states to cut power this month for up to 14 hours a day.
The country's electricity demand grew 4.9% during the first half of October, with supply falling short of demand by 1.4% despite a 3.2% rise in coal-fired generation and 30% rise in solar output, a Reuters analysis of government data showed.
Increased economic activity after the second wave of the coronavirus has driven up electricity demand, resulting in a supply deficit due to a coal shortage that has forced northern states to cut power this month for up to 14 hours a day.
The rapid surge in power demand and high global coal prices have left utilities scampering for coal - the country's dominant source of power generation - despite record supplies from state-run Coal India, a near-monopoly in coal production.
Coal's share in electricity generation jumped to nearly 70% during the first fifteen days of October, compared with an average of 66.5% during the whole of September, an analysis of data from central grid regulator POSOCO showed.
