New study reveals that heatwaves in India have driven 9 per cent surge in power demand in 2024.
It warns of 'heat–power trap' that threatens India's climate progress and public health.
Immediate reforms in power planning and heat preparedness needed to break this cycle.
Heatwaves pushed up India’s electricity demand by nearly 9 per cent during the peak summer months of 2024, forcing the country to rely heavily on fossil fuels and sending emissions soaring, according to a new analysis that warned of a dangerous, self-reinforcing “heat–power trap.”
The study Breaking the Cycle by Climate Trends and Climate Compatible Futures established that rising temperatures, intensifying heatwaves, soaring electricity demand and higher fossil fuel use are converging into a loop that is undermining India’s climate progress and worsening public health risks.
The authors said the crisis is accelerating faster than policymakers are preparing for.
2024 was the hottest year on record for India, with average temperatures 0.65°C above the 1991–2020 baseline. Maximum temperatures repeatedly breached 50°C, including an unprecedented 52.9°C in Delhi’s Mungeshpur.
Over the decade, northern and central states clocked over 500 cumulative heatwave days, while new hotspots emerged in Uttarakhand and Ladakh.
Cooling needs are transforming India’s electricity profile. Peak power demand jumped from 154 GW in 2015 to 246 GW in 2024, a 59 per cent surge, with some states recording annual additions of 6-8 gigawatt (GW). Cooling loads are doubling summer peaks in several regions. Despite India adding massive renewable capacity — solar grew 18 times and wind nearly doubled — fossil fuels still shoulder the burden during extreme heat.
This mismatch drove coal-heavy generation during the 2024 heatwaves, resulting in 327 MtCO2 emissions in just three summer months. Over the past decade, extra fossil-based summertime generation contributed a staggering 2.5 GtCO2 to the atmosphere.
“Meeting summer power demand with fossil fuels has worsened emissions, air pollution and the health crisis,” said Manish Ram, chief executive of Climate Compatible Futures. “We must break this cycle before it disproportionately harms vulnerable communities.
Rural regions face the brunt of these shocks. Many lack uninterrupted electricity access, so heatwaves simultaneously increase cooling needs and weaken grid reliability — conditions that can be deadly for low-income households. Studies on heatwave-linked mortality underscore this widening inequality.
The report flagged a critical governance blind spot: India’s Heat Action Plans (HAP) are largely unprepared for electricity shocks. Only four states, three cities and one district incorporate renewable or battery-backed power systems into their HAPs. Most focus narrowly on health responses, with little forecasting of rising electricity demand, grid stress or backup power needs. Some states do not mention electricity at all.
“The findings show India’s heatwaves and power shortages can no longer be treated as separate crises. They are converging,” said Aarti Khosla, director of Climate Trends. “Unless we upgrade the grid, build storage and develop flexible electricity systems, every summer will lock us deeper into fossil dependence, undermining climate progress and worsening public health impacts.”
The report called for an urgent overhaul of India’s power planning and heat preparedness, recommending:
Large-scale storage investment — battery, pumped hydro and solar–wind hybrids
Smart grids and anticipatory load management District-level heat-season demand mapping
Solar-powered cooling shelters and rural heat resilience hubs
Mandatory cool roofs, shaded public spaces and passive cooling in cities
Demand-response programmes for industry Integrating electricity resilience into every HAP and state budget
Despite rapid renewable growth, the study warned that rising heat could outpace clean energy gains unless storage, grid upgrades and planning reforms accelerate dramatically. India avoided 440 MtCO2 during 2015-2020 due to climate policies — gains that risk being wiped out by the spiralling heat–power dynamic.
Unless India acts now to decouple heatwaves from fossil fuel demand, each summer will pull the country deeper into a climate, energy and health crisis that will be far harder and costlier to undo.