India Balances Thermal Power and Renewable Growth Amid Storage and Grid Challenges

India plans to maintain 350-400GW of thermal power capacity alongside expanding renewable energy to 1,800-2,000GW by 2032, as coal remains vital for grid reliability amid storage and transmission challenges. The Central Electricity Authority highlights pumped storage as essential for renewable integration but faces delays due to regulatory and environmental hurdles. Meanwhile, renewable energy curtailment reached 23GW between May and November 2023, driven by coal plants' operational limits, underscoring the need for greater thermal flexibility to support grid stability.