Archive · 1 Oct 2026
India’s September Power Deficit Hits Decade High Amid Weak Monsoon
India did not get as much rain as usual during the monsoon season.
Rainfall was about 13% below normal.
The dry weather made many areas hotter, so people used more air conditioning.
At the same time, dams produced less electricity from water.
Coal supplies to power plants also became harder to maintain after flooding disrupted mining and transport.
Many plants had less than a quarter of the coal they were supposed to have.
On average, plants had only about a week of coal left.
The article says this created an unusually large electricity shortage in September.
India received 13% less monsoon rainfall than normal from June through September, the weakest season since 2015.
The weaker rains increased heat and air-conditioning demand, while electricity use stayed elevated from March.
Hydropower generation fell nearly 16% year over year in September, marking its fifth consecutive monthly decline.
Flooding in eastern coal-mining areas disrupted production and transport, pushing power-plant coal inventories to nearly three-year lows.
The article describes the September combined energy shortage as the worst since 2017, while its headline calls the deficit a 10-year high.
- Who
- India’s electricity sector, power plants, coal producers and electricity consumers were affected.
- What
- India experienced a severe September power shortage as electricity demand rose while hydropower and coal supplies weakened.
- When
- The shortage occurred in September, following a monsoon season from June through September.
- Where
- Across India, with coal-mining and transport disruptions reported in eastern India.
- Why
- Rainfall was below normal, increasing heat and cooling demand, reducing hydropower generation and disrupting coal production and transport.
- Rainfall shortfall
- India received about 13% less rain than normal between June and September.
- Monsoon comparison
- The season was described as India’s weakest since 2015.
- Hydropower decline
- Hydropower generation fell nearly 16% in September from a year earlier.
- Coal reserves
- Power-plant coal inventories fell to their lowest level in nearly three years.
- Plant reserves
- About 40% of 191 surveyed plants had less than one-quarter of required coal stocks.
- Average supply
- Power plants held about one week of coal reserves on average.
- Shortage comparison
- The combined energy shortage was described as the worst September result since 2017.