{
  "id": 4987333,
  "title": "India’s power demand is surging, but some solar energy is going to waste",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/indias-power-demand-is-surging-but-some-solar-energy-is-going-to-waste",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-02T01:53:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Associated Press",
    "slug": "associated-press",
    "url": "https://apnews.com/article/renewable-climate-change-india-solar-wind-354a7dfbe725c5dc874aea4f03de53d1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "India's power demand has been rapidly increasing, particularly during the hot summer months when air conditioners are running long hours to keep homes cool. Despite this surge in demand, the country has been confronted with a surplus of clean energy from solar farms. In the past 15 months, India had to curtail nearly 11 terawatt-hours of solar energy, enough electricity to power around 10 million homes, according to government records and analysis from energy research group Ember. This excess clean energy was not utilized as it went unused due to the country's limited transmission and storage infrastructure, making it difficult to accommodate and distribute the renewable power effectively. The world's most populous nation and a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions is rapidly expanding its clean energy capacity, focusing on solar power. However, the challenge lies in integrating this clean electricity into its grid system effectively. Experts argue that India's energy transition faces a significant hurdle. Building solar and wind farms is not sufficient; the country needs an extensive network of transmission lines to distribute electricity across the expansive country, batteries to store renewable power for later use, and a more adaptable power system that can swiftly adjust its output based on the changing availability of wind and solar energy.",
  "summary": "BENGALURU, India (AP) — When India’s power demand surged at the height of summer, the country struggled to meet evening needs…",
  "key_points": [
    "India's power demand surges in summer, driving air conditioner use",
    "Country curtails 11 terawatt-hours of solar energy in 15 months",
    "Transmission and storage infrastructure limit utilization of excess solar power"
  ],
  "editors_take": "India's inability to utilize surplus solar energy due to limited transmission and storage infrastructure hinders its clean energy transition, highlighting the need for a more adaptable power system and expanded grid capacity.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "India’s power demand is surging, but some solar energy is going to waste",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/indias-power-demand-is-surging-but-some-solar-energy-is-going-to-waste-4988015",
        "published": "2026-09-02T01:35:55.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}