India faces widespread blackouts as heat waves overwhelm power grid
India's summer is off to a scorching start, with long heat waves pushing electricity demand way past what the grid can handle.
Blackouts are hitting some cities and towns across the country, especially as energy imports like crude oil and gas face disruptions.
It's not just about the heat: El Nino could disrupt monsoon rainfall, adding stress to the power grid, while maintenance shutdowns at coal and nuclear plants are making nighttime outages worse.
Experts urge Indian grid upgrades
Power demand has reached unprecedented levels, but nighttime supply remains a challenge.
Overloaded equipment means more outages, fueling frustration and protests in places hit hardest by blackouts.
Experts say both upgrades to the grid and smarter energy use are crucial if we want to avoid even bigger problems as summer rolls on.