Energy Profile of India

India celebrated 100 years of hydro power development in 1997. Around that time, there were about 225 hydroelectric power stations (excluding mini hydro) in the country, with an installed capacity of about 23,500 MW, and generating about 80 billion units a year. By the turn of the century, the installed hydro power capacity rose to about 25,000 MW. This was about 25 per cent of the total installed capacity from all sources. In wind power, India ranked fourth in the World with installed capacity of 1025 MW, after Germany, USA and Denmark.

According to another set of figures, the total installed capacity at the end of 1998-99 was 92864.06 MW, comprising 22438 MW hydro and 67617.46 thermal (including gas and diesel), 968.12 MW wind and 1840 MW nuclear. The generation (excluding wind) was 448.38 billion units-- 353.66 BUs thermal, 82.71 BUs hydro and 12.01 BUs nuclear. (Update: Generation capacity in 2010)

It is estimated that India would need a total installed capacity of 212000 MW by 2012 (Eleventh National Power Survey). The earlier estimate was higher at 240000 MW. According to the 17th  Power Survey completed in 2007, energy consumption in the country would jump from 362799 Gwh in 2003-04 to 755847 Gwh in 2011-12.

The Central Electricity Authority has estimated the need for creating additional capacity of 1,00,000 MW by 2012. A capacity addition of 41,110 MW comprising 14,393 MW hydro, 25,417 MW thermal and 1,300 MW nuclear power has been fixed for the Tenth Five Year Plan. An additional capacity of 3,100 MW is expected to come from renewable sources of energy. The contribution of State sector and private sector during Tenth Plan has been fixed at 11,157 MW and 7,121 MW respectively. This is approximately 45 per cent of total capacity addition envisaged.

Major hydroelectric projects: (Above 750 MW as in 2005) Tehri, Bhakra, Dehar, Koyna, Nagarjunasagar, Srisailam, Sharavarthy, Kalinadi and Idukki.