Green energy boost as renewables account for 20% generation in July

Renewable energy accounts for nearly 20% of India's power generation in July, up from 16.9% a year ago. NEW DELHI: Reflecting India’s green energy push, renewable energy contributed nearly 20% of the country’s power generation in July and registered a year-on-year growth of over 30%.According to Grid India data, of the total power generation of 1,81,790 mw in July, 36,355 mw was sourced from solar, wind and biomass, which constitute renewable energy, accounting for 19.9% of the total generation. In comparison, 27,835 mw of the total 1,64,393 mw, or 16.9%, came from RE sources in July 2025.A power ministry official said the data showed that India’s efforts to move from fossil fuels to cleaner sources of energy were beginning to show results. “We aim to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2070. Renewable energy now accounts for more than 42% of our total installed capacity of about 552 gw. If we include nuclear and hydro, our installed non-fossil capacity has reached about 295 gw,” the official said. Thermal sources, including coal and lignite, however, continue to provide the baseload power, accounting for 66% of the total generation, about 13% higher than last year. For only the second time ever, peak power demand crossed 270 gw in July, driven by hot and humid conditions across the country and the El Nino phenomenon. The share of hydropower in total generation was 10.2% in July 2026, lower than the 14.5% share recorded a year earlier. Except gas and hydro, all major fuels saw a year-on-year increase in power generation. Atul Mathur is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Times of India with over 27 years of experience in journalism. Based in Delhi, he has spent much of his career reporting on governance, public policy and politics, churning out researched, data-driven stories that impact daily lives. Atul is known for investigative depth and strong human-interest narratives as he strives to bring clarity and context to complex issues. He currently tracks the energy sector, writing on power, renewable energy, coal and mines.