India's power sector emissions stayed flat for two years even as electricity demand grew 7%, according to an analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) for Carbon Brief. Clean power added 70 TWh over that period, more than covering the 63 TWh increase in demand. Solar contributed 44 TWh and India added 77 GW of solar capacity between the first halves of 2024 and 2026. Coal generation stalled despite 8.5 GW of new coal capacity. Total CO2 emissions still rose 3.7% year on year because heavy industry, mainly steel and cement, pushed emissions up 8%. India has the second lowest industrial electrification rate in the G20, so output growth still means fossil fuel use. The article also notes grid constraints, with 5.3 GW of renewable projects missing deadlines, and 272 GWh of storage tenders issued. The next phase depends on transmission, storage, and whether industry can shift away from direct fossil fuel use.
