'Heatwaves drove 9 pc of India's power demand surge in 2024'

As delegates at the ongoing COP30 negotiate on finance adaptation and mitigation to tackle global warming, a new report by Climate Trends & Climate Compatible Futures states that heatwaves drove 9 per cent of India's power demand surge in the summer of 2024, recommending renewable energy infrastructure as a key to break India's heat-power trap.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

The number of heatwave days with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius rose sharply in the latter half of the decade, with 14 states recording a 15 per cent increase in summer heat intensity between 2015 and 2024. Summer peaks are amplifying stress on the grid and power system, worsening emissions, and challenging both infrastructure and public health systems simultaneously. In parallel, India's power system expanded significantly, growing from 285 GW in 2015 to 461 GW in 2024. Renewable energy capacity more than doubled from 84 GW to 209 GW, while fossil fuel capacity also rose from 195 GW to 243 GW, according to the report.