India is breaking renewable energy records, especially in solar capacity additions and output, but it has been forced to curb solar generation during periods of low demand to keep its grid stable.
Solar output is being reduced to ease congestion in access to the grid, due to delays in transmission projects and new plants coming online ahead of schedule, India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has told Reuters.
The need to curtail solar power generation highlights the setbacks of booming capacity installations if there isn’t an adequate expansion of power lines and distribution and transmission upgrades.
India saw record-high power generation from solar plants between January and April, with solar electricity output soaring by 32.4% from a year earlier and keeping coal-fired generation essentially flat despite rising demand.
Fossil fuels still accounted for 78% of power generation in India last year, but the country is making good progress in advancing renewable energy installations.
India added a record 22 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity in the first half of 2025, up by 57% from a year earlier, according to Rystad Energy data. Solar led the newly-added capacity with 18.4 GW installations, followed by 3.5 GW of wind, and 250 megawatts (MW) of bioenergy generated from plant and animal waste.
Despite the record additions, solar power projects in some states have been deferred due to delays in transmission upgrades, the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) said last month. The federation called on the government to speed up the completion of transmission and battery storage projects in a letter to the ministry cited by Reuters.
Last month, India boasted achieving five years ahead of schedule its target to have 50% of its installed electricity capacity coming from non-fossil fuel sources.
This installed capacity, however, does not mean renewable power generation will soon replace coal in India, especially if grid constraints and battery and transmission delays persist.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
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