India's power capacity ~560 GW; non-fossil share 55%

13 November 2026 · English Infrastructure & Energy

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Topics: Economy & Energy · UPSC Prelims · TNPSC · SSC · Current Affairs

Current affairs of 13 November 2026 (Shanmugam IAS Academy) – explained for UPSC, TNPSC and other competitive exams

News

According to an official factsheet on India's renewable energy progress (IANS, 13 Nov 2026), the country's total installed power capacity rose from 249 GW in 2014 to about 560 GW in October 2026, with 55% from non-fossil sources. Non-fossil capacity crossed 300 GW (300.50 GW on 31 July 2026, PIB) and stood at about 308 GW by end-September 2026, and India ranks third in the world in installed renewable energy capacity. Solar capacity grew from 2.8 GW in 2014 to about 175 GW on 31 October 2026; wind capacity is 59.20 GW as of 30 September 2026 (fourth in the world), with a record 6.05 GW added in 2025–26. Hydropower (large and small) stood at 57.24 GW on 31 July 2026 (PIB) and bio-power at 11.75 GW (29 Oct 2026), including about 9,821 MW of bagasse cogeneration. Rooftop solar systems have been installed in 65.26 lakh homes under PM Surya Ghar, and 839 compressed biogas (CBG) plants are registered (as of 2 November 2026). The National Policy on Geothermal Energy was notified on 15 September 2025; the Geological Survey of India (GSI) estimates about 10,600 MW of geothermal potential. The target is 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030.

Key facts for the exam

Background

• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) handles solar, wind, bio-energy, small hydro (up to 25 MW), geothermal and green hydrogen; large hydro projects above 25 MW come under the Ministry of Power. Since March 2019, large hydro is also classed as renewable energy in India.
• India met its updated Paris Agreement NDC goal of '50% of installed capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030' already in 2025. The 'Panchamrit' goals announced at COP26 in Glasgow (2021) include net-zero emissions by 2070.
• Compressed biogas (CBG) is biogas from anaerobic digestion of dung, farm residue and urban waste, purified and compressed; it is over 90% methane. On 6 August 2026 the 'GOBARdhan National Circular Bioenergy Scheme' (2026–27 to 2035–36) worth ₹23,731 crore was approved.
• Geothermal energy comes from the Earth's internal heat. Ladakh's Puga valley is India's most promising geothermal field, where ONGC has taken up a pilot project.

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Sources: IANS (13 Nov 2026, official factsheet) – ianslive.in; PIB factsheet – pib.gov.in/FactsheetDetails.aspx?Id=150868 (13 Aug 2026, updated 26 Oct 2026); PIB backgrounder on geothermal (Sep 2026, 381 hot springs, ~10.6 GW); PIB – 'India's Energy Journey' – pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2298869 (13 Aug 2026); Business Standard – business-standard.com (7 Mar 2019, large hydro declared renewable); The Tribune/ANI – tribuneindia.com (5 Nov 2026); MNRE – mnre.gov.in. Compiled by Shanmugam IAS Academy.

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