India's power shortage nearly ends at 0.23 MU on October 28 as wind returns

The shortage has stayed close to zero for more than a week

The energy shortage is the electricity that consumers wanted but the grid could not supply. It is a direct measure of power cuts. It was 0.23 million units (MU) on October 28, against 31.3 MU on October 14. It has stayed below 1.3 MU every day since October 18. At the peak of demand outside solar hours, the shortage was 101 megawatts (MW), against 4,680 MW on October 14.

Lower demand has cut coal and gas use

• Energy met, which is the total electricity supplied, was 4,809 MU, down from 5,533 MU on October 5.
• Maximum demand met was 226,871 MW, down from about 260,700 MW in early October.
• Coal generation fell to 3,646 MU, the lowest in the past 30 days. That is about 12.5% below the 4,168 MU of October 14.
• Generation from gas, naphtha and diesel dropped from about 150 MU to 42.8 MU.

Coal burn is about 500 MU a day below mid-October levels. That should slow the drain on power-plant coal stockpiles.

Wind has recovered, but hydro output is still falling

Renewable generation from wind, solar, biomass and other sources rose to 938 MU from 743 MU on October 25. This happened even though solar slipped to 595 MU. Non-solar renewables reached about 344 MU, roughly double the level of a week earlier. The Southern Region supplied most of the gain. Its renewable output went from 190 MU on October 23 to 310 MU. Hydro generation was 316 MU, down from 497 MU on October 14. This is consistent with reservoirs drained by the weak monsoon. The hydro shortfall continues into winter.

Exports to Bangladesh have risen and grid frequency was steady

Net power exports to Bangladesh are steady at about 24 MU a day, up from 11.2 MU on October 14. Grid frequency shows whether supply and demand are in balance. It stayed within the 49.9–50.05 hertz (Hz) band for 77% of the day.