The power sector of India is known to be one of the most diversified and powerful ones in the world. Sources of electricity generation here include conventional sources like coal, natural gas, oil, lignite, hydro and nuclear power, and also non-conventional sources like solar, wind, agricultural and domestic waste.
The country has witnessed a very fast growth in electricity generation since 1990. In the year 2015, the country became a power surplus nation that possessed huge electric generation capacity. But many villages in India do not have power connection even now.
By mid-2016, India’s power generation capacity crossed the 300,00 MW (megawatt) mark, including more than 42,848 MW renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power plants. This means, the country’s renewable energy sector is considered very important.
About 65 per cent of the electricity produced in India is from thermal power plants. More than 20 per cent of the power comes from hydroelectric power plants and 3 per cent from nuclear plants. The rest is from alternate sources.