India reached a significant milestone in its energy transition with clean energy sources contributing more than 50% to the country’s electricity generation during peak daytime demand. Data from the Power Ministry’s MERIT platform revealed that clean energy sources, including renewables, hydropower, and nuclear power, supplied 50.02% of India’s total electricity demand of 221.5 GW on July 6 at 11:46 a.m.
This achievement marks the second consecutive year where clean energy has met over half of India’s electricity demand at a specific time, showcasing the rapid growth of non-fossil fuel generation capacity. Experts noted that this trend has been consistent in recent months, with clean energy meeting more than 45% of India’s total electricity demand on 50 days since May this year.
Disha Aggarwal, a Fellow at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), emphasized the need to scale flexible energy storage and expand renewable energy systems to meet the rising evening demand with cost-effective renewables. Power demand has eased in recent weeks due to widespread rainfall, with peak power demand dropping to 222.5 GW on July 6 before rising to 230 GW on July 7.
The current demand remains below the record high of 270.8 GW seen in May this year during a severe heatwave. In 2025, India’s peak electricity demand hit 243 GW in June, slightly lower than the previous year’s peak of 250 GW in May. The government projects peak power demand to reach 271 GW in 2026. India’s total installed power generation capacity stood at 542.3 GW as of May 31, with thermal power contributing 250.8 GW and renewable energy capacity reaching 282.7 GW, highlighting the country’s expanding clean energy portfolio.
