In an effort to address growing electricity demand, regional areas of India are shifting focus from renewable energy projects to signing long-term contracts for coal-fired power generation. Government officials in Uttar Pradesh and Assam states have made bids to acquire up to 7 GW of coal-fired power output, following a trend of 17 GW being contracted in the past year. India plans to increase its coal power capacity by 46% over the next decade, reaching 307 GW by 2035. The country aims to have at least 80 GW of new coal-fired generation by 2032, while also targeting 500 GW of power from renewables and non-fossil fuel sources by 2030. Madhya Pradesh recently announced $3.7 billion in contracts for new coal-fired generation, including a 1.6-GW plant by Torrent Power and an 800-MW facility by Adani Power. Torrent’s project involves a 25-year power purchase agreement, with output sold exclusively to MP Power at a fixed rate. Adani Power is also developing a 2.4-GW plant in Bihar, expected to be fully operational by 2030.

Read more at Yahoo Finance: India Invests in More Coal-Fired Power to Support Increased Need for Electricity