India's Heatwave Crisis: Power Demand Soars

India is experiencing a dramatic increase in extreme heat, with heatwave days exceeding 40 degrees Celsius surging over the last decade. Fourteen states reported a 15% rise in summer heat intensity between 2015 and 2024. This escalating heat has driven a significant spike in electricity demand, particularly for cooling, adding nearly nine percent to peak power demand during summer months and contributing to substantial CO₂ emissions.

Despite a rapid expansion of renewable energy capacity, increasing from 84 GW to 209 GW between 2015 and 2024, coal continues to be India's primary power source. Fossil-fuel capacity also grew, and while renewable energy output saw a substantial increase, fossil-based power generation still rose by 50%. This reliance on fossil fuels during peak summer demand exacerbates emissions and air pollution, creating a detrimental cycle.

Experts emphasize the urgent need to break this heat-power feedback loop, which disproportionately affects vulnerable populations. Key strategies include rapidly expanding renewable energy and storage capacities, upgrading the national grid, and integrating energy planning with climate adaptation measures. Addressing this interconnected crisis of heatwaves and power shortages is presented as an equity imperative.