Super El Nino
damages wind potential
Prelims:
Geography,
Environment & Ecology
Mains:
GS
Paper I-Geography, GS Paper III-Environment, Infrastructure, Disaster
Management
Current relevance:
The Centre for Research on Energy
and Clean Air (CREA) has projected that the ongoing El Niño could strain
India's power sector by reducing electricity generation from wind and
hydropower.
Highlights:
1.
According
to CREA, India could face an electricity generation gap of about 18
TWh (terawatt-hours) during the one-year period ending June 2027.
2.
Impact of Super El Niño on Power Generation:
i.
Super El Niño is exceptionally high warming
of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific
Ocean. It weakens the Indian southwest monsoon, leading to below-normal
rainfall.
ii.
Reduced
rainfall lowers water availability in reservoirs, decreasing hydropower
generation. Changes in atmospheric circulation can also weaken wind speeds,
reducing wind power generation. At the same time, hotter weather increases
electricity demand, particularly for air conditioning.
1. India's Power Sector:
i.
As
of March 2026, India's installed non-fossil fuel power capacity stood at
283.46 GW, including solar, wind, hydropower, and nuclear energy. Solar
energy currently supplies nearly one-fourth of daytime electricity
demand, but inadequate battery storage and grid infrastructure limit its
full utilization.
ii.
CREA
recommends expanding
battery energy storage systems and upgrading the electricity grid to
better integrate renewable energy and reduce dependence on coal during periods
of high demand.
Source: THE HINDU - https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/el-nino-to-dent-indias-wind-hydropower-output-study/article71189323.ece