Renewable Energy Output Rose 53.6% in September, Says Data

India’s coal-fired electricity generation so far this month fell 1.5% from year earlier, while power output from renewable energy jumped 53.6%, a Reuters analysis of government data showed.

Overall electricity generation growth slowed to 1% in the first half of September, a review of daily load despatch data by federal grid regulator POSOCO showed, much slower than the 16.1% growth in August which had resulted in a 23.7% increase in coal-fired output.

The slowdown in coal-fired power output and a pickup in renewable energy generation could provide relief to utilities across the country which are struggling with a coal shortage, forcing India to ask power plants to import coal.

The share of renewables rose to 12.1% from 11.9% in August.

Renewable energy output jumps in September, driven by a more than doubling of wind power production and an 18.6% rise in solar power generation, the POSOCO data showed, making up for a 5.3% fall in hydro power output, and a 33.7% decline in gas-fired power.