Powering up after the power crisis shock

The robust economic recovery after two waves of COVID-19 and the unexpected heat wave have brought back power cuts. The Government is undertaking emergency measures such as cancelling passenger trains so as to be able to get the Indian Railways to transport more coal to power plants, and issuing directives to use more imported coal to tide over the supply shortfall. To improve reliability, Discoms, with the approval of the Regulatory Commissions, need to go in for bids for storage. It may even turn out to be the cheaper option in the short run to meet peaking power needs. Large-scale grid storage is in any case essential to achieve the goals for 2030 - of creating 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity including 450 GW of renewables.