Union Power Minister R K Singh conveyed that India is poised to witness a substantial surge in peak power demand, expected to reach 335 GW by 2030, a stark increase from the present 241 GW. During a review meeting on thermal power capacity addition, Singh emphasized the imperative need to augment India's thermal coal-based power generation capacity by 80 GW, in contrast to the current 27 GW under construction.

The comprehensive meeting, attended by independent power producers and state-owned generators virtually and physically, featured the participation of energy secretaries from 13 major states, fostering deliberations on the country's energy landscape.

Singh highlighted the escalating energy demand, emphasizing that solely relying on renewable energy capacity expansion might not suffice to meet the surging electricity requirements. Despite India's ambitious target of achieving 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, Singh underscored the necessity of coal-based thermal power generation to mitigate potential power outages, particularly if viable and scalable energy storage options are not available.

The minister criticized the hypocrisy of developed nations around renewable energy and emphasized that India's per capita emissions are among the lowest globally. He advocated for a balanced approach, noting that the West, significantly reliant on fossil fuels, lacks the moral high ground to lecture India on its energy strategy.

According to the Central Electricity Authority's (CEA) latest report for October, India currently boasts an installed generation capacity of approximately 425 GW, comprising roughly 179 GW from renewable energy sources and large hydroelectric plants.