Weak Hydropower Fuels India Power Crunch; States Seek Extra Supply

Several Indian states, including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Delhi, are seeking additional power allocations from the central government as weak hydropower output and plant maintenance reduce night-time electricity supply. Hydropower generation fell 20% year-on-year, contributing to power shortages of 560 million kWh in September, the highest since August 2023, despite a 13.3% rise in coal-fired generation.