# India's Power Crisis Deepens

> India's 96 coal plants face critical fuel shortages as power demand soars.
- Title: India's Power Crisis Deepens · The Economic Times | Shortify
- Summary: India's 96 coal plants face critical fuel shortages as power demand soars. India's coal-fired power plants now operate with critically low fuel stocks for…
- Keywords: india, coal plants, fuel shortage, power demand, el nino, renewable energy, India's, Power, Crisis, Deepens, The Economic Times
- Source: The Economic Times — https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/energy/power/indias-power-crunch-deepens-as-96-coal-plants-face-fuel-shortages/articleshow/135081893.cms
- Author: Reuters
- Published: 2026-10-21T04:12:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: india, coal plants, fuel shortage, power demand, el nino, renewable energy
## Fuel Shortages
Half of India's 191 coal-fired power plants operate with critically low fuel stocks due to rising energy demand and El Nino-linked weather.
## Shortfall Rise
The number of power plants with critically low coal stocks rose to 96 as of October 19 from 60 plants in mid-September.
## Demand Surge
Daily peak electricity demand this year has been 45 to 50 gigawatts higher than a year earlier due to weaker monsoon rains and increased thermal plant reliance.
## Supply Gap
India's power demand exceeded supply by 560 million kilowatt-hours in September, the highest since August 2023.
## Key takeaway

India's coal-fired power plants now operate with critically low fuel stocks for less than three days due to rising energy demand and El Nino-linked weather.