A sweltering summer has sapped India's power capacity leading to shortages of hydropower and putting pressure on its coal stocks. The summer's heatwave peaked but problems were exacerbated by a weak monsoon that cut hydropower output leading to a spike in coal demand, Bloomberg reported on September 24, citing power ministry data. Night-time shortfalls reached as much as 7.7 GW in September, more than in April and May, when heat drove demand to a record of about 271 GW. Hydropower generation fell 12% year-on-year in the first three weeks of the month, putting it on course for a fifth straight monthly decline after a 16.7% drop in August. Coal-fired output rose 18% in September and is up 11% in the fiscal year that began on April 1. The gap is opening after dark, when solar output falls away and the grid leans on hydro and coal. Hydropower accounts for only about 9% of India's generating capacity, and slow growth in hydro, nuclear and energy storage leaves coal to fill the hole left by dry reservoirs. Coal and lignite plants already supplied almost 70% of India's electricity in April-June, and the power ministry expects peak demand to reach 300 GW in 2027. El Niño has left rainfall over the June-September monsoon 15% below normal, and if the deficit holds this will be the weakest monsoon since 2009. The failed rains add India to the countries hit in this year's disaster season and also threaten the rice harvest, which industry officials expect to fall by about 10mn tonnes to 144mn tonnes, the sharpest drop since the 2009-10 season. Heavier coal burn has pushed stockpiles at power plants to their lowest in about three years. The Central Electricity Authority's daily coal stock report for September 21 lists 76 of 188 plants as critical, holding less than a quarter of their required stock, with total inventories of 22.7mn tonnes, or 39% of the 57.9mn tonnes they are meant to hold. Plants had 42.8mn tonnes, about 14 days of burn, on July 12. Plants located near mines, normally the cheapest generators, held only about half of their required reserves, according to Bloomberg. The coal exists but is not moving fast enough. State miner Coal India (NSE: COALINDIA) holds about 76mn tonnes at its pitheads, Business Standard reported on September 21, and analysts at Crisil have described the fall in plant stocks as a temporary logistical problem rather than a structural shortage. Coal India needs to speed up shipments, particularly to the lower-cost plants now short of fuel, and the railways must supply enough wagons to move it, said Rupesh Sankhe, senior vice-president for research at Elara Capital. "We are not in a crisis yet, but the government needs to act fast to prevent one," Sankhe told the agency.

인공지능 산업의 급격한 팽창은 전례 없는 전력 수요를 만들어냈습니다. 수천억 달러가 AI 모델과 인프라에 쏟아지고 있지만, 정작 그 엔진을 돌릴 에너지가 부족해 데이터센터 프로젝트들이 줄줄이 지연되는 상황입니다. 과연 우리가 지금 눈여겨봐야 할 진짜 투자처는 어디일까요.

PJM Capacity Auction Reaches Price Limit, Misses Reliability Target Valley Forge, Pa. – The PJM Interconnection, the electric grid operator serving Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and eleven other states, has again failed to secure sufficient power to meet future demand. The auction for the 2028/2029 period concluded this week with prices reaching a cap of $325

PJM Interconnection’s recent capacity auction failed to secure sufficient power resources, falling short of the grid operator's reliability target by approximately 7 gigawatts (GW). David Mills, PJM president and CEO, announced on July 14 that electricity demand continues to exceed supply, impacting system reliability and consumer costs. PJM is working with government and industry stakeholders

A surge in artificial intelligence computing is straining the electrical grid in the eastern United States, prompting government intervention and highlighting a critical power shortage. Near Columbus, Ohio, a region rapidly transforming into an AI hub, a new battery storage project aims to alleviate the strain and provide a potential solution for the East’s growing

Energy halt in Northern Norway sparks fears of a business standstill.

North Carolina -- TECHNOLOGY: The headlines across North Carolina are clear: electricity demand is skyrocketing, projected to jump as much as 60% over...

New York’s electric grid is facing a severe reliability crisis, according to the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO). The nonprofit organization, which manages the state's electric grid, has issued a warning indicating that the state’s power supply is nearing its limit. NYISO’s recent reliability assessment revealed that the grid’s reliability margins are at the

PJM Interconnection, the largest power grid operator in the United States, has introduced an emergency proposal to add 15 gigawatts of electricity supply. This initiative is a direct response to the escalating electricity demand fueled by the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence data centers. The proposal aims to expedite the pairing of data centers with

Former Delhi CM Atishi links the return of power cuts to AAP’s exit, alleging BJP’s mismanagement. She warns of worsening electricity issues as Delhi awaits the announcement of a new Chief Minister.

Watch video: Millions in Cuba remain in dark after nationwide blackout A view of the sky in the early morning during a national electrical grid collapse, in Havana, Cuba, December 4, 2024. (Reuters/Al...