India’s electricity demand grew 4.9% during the first half of October, with supply falling short of demand by 1.4% despite a 3.2% rise in coal-fired generation and 30% rise in solar output, a Reuters analysis of government data showed. Increased economic activity after the second wave of the coronavirus has driven up electricity demand, resulting in a supply deficit due to a coal shortage that has forced northern states to cut power this month for up to 14 hours a day . The rapid surge in power demand and high global coal prices have left utilities scampering for coal – India’s dominant source of power generation – despite record supplies from state-run Coal India, a near-monopoly in coal production. Coal’s share in India’s electricity generation jumped to nearly 70% during the first fifteen days of October, compared with an average of 66.5% during the […]