India heatwave causes evening power shortages for 3 million households
India's sweltering heatwave is causing major evening power shortages, with temperatures soaring past 45 degrees Celsius in many states.
Solar panels keep lights on during the day, but after sunset, electricity supply drops sharply, leaving a big gap between 6pm and 10pm.
On May 26 alone, the shortfall was enough to power around 3 million households for a day.
Maharashtra Haryana Punjab face thermal outages
Northern and western states like Maharashtra, Haryana, and Punjab are hit hardest: demand is way above what the grid can handle right now.
Part of the problem: about 40 GW of thermal power plants are down due to technical issues, and many states rely on pricey short-term fixes instead of stable long-term deals.
Battery storage could help smooth things out in the evenings, but India's current battery capacity is tiny compared to what's needed, so for now, those evening outages aren't going away just yet.