India’s installed power capacity reached around 552 GW by July 2026, with non-fossil sources contributing more than 300 GW, or over 54% of the total. Solar has emerged as a major growth engine, expanding from 2.8 GW in 2014 to more than 164 GW, while wind capacity has surpassed 58 GW. The government is also advancing floating solar, storage, nuclear, green hydrogen and geothermal initiatives. The milestone demonstrates the increasing diversification of India’s energy mix as the country balances rising electricity demand, energy security and its transition toward cleaner sources of power.
The Central Electricity Authority has introduced the CEA Cyber Security in Power Sector Regulations, 2026, creating stronger protection requirements for India’s increasingly digital electricity infrastructure. The framework covers power entities operating interconnected IT and operational technology systems, including generating companies, captive plants and energy storage systems of 50 MW or above. Requirements include CISOs, 24-hour security divisions, annual audits, network segregation, data localisation and stronger vendor accountability. Cyber incidents must also be reported to CSIRT-Power within six hours. Mandatory provisions of the new regulations are scheduled to take full effect from April 1, 2027.
Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited has approached CSERC seeking approval and adoption of the competitively discovered tariff for a 500 MWh battery energy storage system. Chhattisgarh received the storage allocation under the Ministry of Power’s VGF programme and is eligible for support of up to ₹90 crore. CSPDCL selected NVVN as the bid implementing agency after comparing proposals from NVVN and SECI. Following competitive bidding, Shreyas Energy 1 Private Limited emerged as the successful bidder. Regulatory approval would move Chhattisgarh another step closer to deploying utility-scale storage for peak-demand and non-solar-hour requirements.
The Ministry of Power has directed States and Union Territories to accelerate the installation of smart electricity meters across consumer categories under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme and state programmes. The government clarified that smart meters are mandatory in areas with communication networks, irrespective of whether consumers use prepaid or postpaid billing. Smart metering is expected to improve billing accuracy, real-time consumption monitoring, time-of-day tariff implementation and energy accounting. For DISCOMs, the technology can strengthen load management and operational efficiency. States, utilities, REC and PFC have been asked to coordinate implementation, develop action plans and submit compliance reports.
The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission has rejected KINESCO Power and Utilities’ application for an additional electricity distribution licence covering Phase-1 of the KINFRA Industrial Park at Perumbavoor. Instead, the Commission directed KSEB to provide direct 24×7 electricity supply to the industrial park. KSEB argued that its nearby Rayonpuram substation has sufficient capacity to meet initial and future requirements, making another distribution intermediary unnecessary. The Commission agreed that KINESCO had not demonstrated a clear technical or financial benefit. The park includes a planned ₹500 crore Kaynes Technology manufacturing facility, which will initially require around 2,000 kVA.
Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission has invited stakeholder comments on proposed intra-state transmission licences for major projects in Belagavi and Mandya. Mekhali Power Transmission plans a 2×500 MVA, 400/220/33 kV AIS substation in Belagavi, supported by new 400 kV and 220 kV transmission lines. Hampapura Power Transmission has proposed another 2×500 MVA, 400/220/33 kV GIS substation in Mandya with associated transmission infrastructure. Both projects are proposed under the Build-Own-Operate-Transfer framework and targeted for completion within 24 months. KPTCL has recommended granting the licences, while KERC will hold a public hearing on September 1, 2026.
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