The Vicious Cycle: How Heat is Reshaping India’s Energy Landscape 

Based on a 2025 report, heatwaves in the summer of 2024 were responsible for 9% of India’s total power demand, generating 327 million tonnes of CO2 emissions and exposing a vicious “heat-power” cycle where rising temperatures increase the need for cooling, which is met primarily by fossil fuels, thereby worsening the climate crisis; this cycle disproportionately impacts rural and vulnerable communities and highlights a critical policy gap, as most state Heat Action Plans fail to integrate renewable energy solutions like solar-powered backup systems, underscoring the urgent need for investment in energy storage and grid modernization to break this unsustainable feedback loop.

The Vicious Cycle: How Heat is Reshaping India’s Energy Landscape 

In the summer of 2024, as thermometers in Delhi’s Mungeshpur touched a staggering 52.9°C, another record was being silently broken—India’s peak power demand surged to 246 GW, a 59% increase from 2015 . A groundbreaking study, Breaking the Cycle by Climate Trends and Climate Compatible Futures, reveals that heatwaves alone were responsible for 9% of this unprecedented power demand . This isn’t merely a seasonal spike but a symptom of a deeper, systemic issue: the “heat-power trap,” where rising temperatures increase cooling needs, forcing greater reliance on fossil fuels, which in turn exacerbates the climate crisis .  

This trap threatens to undermine India’s notable progress in renewable energy. While the country expanded its renewable capacity from 84 GW in 2015 to 209 GW in 2024, fossil fuel capacity also grew, from 195 GW to 243 GW in the same period . The summer of 2024 saw 327 million tonnes of CO2 emissions in just three months, with fossil-based power generation during summer months over the past decade contributing a colossal 2.5 gigatonnes of CO2 . As Dr. Manish Ram, CEO of Climate Compatible Futures, warns, “Meeting summer power demand with fossil fuels has worsened emissions, air pollution, and the health crisis. We must break this cycle before it disproportionately harms vulnerable communities” .  

The Anatomy of the Heat-Power Trap 

1. The Climate-Energy Feedback Loop 

The link between heat and energy demand is straightforward: as temperatures rise, cooling needs escalate. However, the intensity of this relationship is becoming unmanageable. The decade between 2015 and 2024 saw 14 Indian states record a 15% increase in summer heat intensity . Northern and central states clocked over 500 cumulative heatwave days over the decade, with new hotspots emerging in regions like Uttarakhand and Ladakh, previously considered temperate . Uttarakhand, for example, saw heatwave days jump from zero in 2023 to 25 in 2024 .  

This has transformed India’s electricity profile. Cooling loads are now doubling summer peaks in several regions, pushing the power grid to its limits . Despite renewable energy generation growing by 121% over the past decade, fossil fuel-based generation also rose by 50% . This indicates that renewables are supplementing, not replacing, fossil fuels during peak demand, creating a dangerous dependency.  

2. The Grid Under Stress 

India’s power system has expanded significantly, from 285 GW in 2015 to 461 GW in 2024 . Yet, the grid remains vulnerable to climate-induced stressors. Central and eastern states, such as Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh, which already face harsh summers, are experiencing the sharpest grid stress, with an average of 50 heatwave days annually between 2014 and 2024 .  

The problem is compounded by infrastructural gaps. Abhinav Jindal of NTPC’s Power Management Institute notes that while solar and wind projects can be completed in 12–15 months, grid upgrades lag far behind, often leaving renewable projects stranded, unable to evacuate power . Additionally, reports of grid curtailments in Rajasthan during peak solar hours highlight stability concerns, particularly in the absence of compensation clauses in power purchase agreements (PPAs) .  

3. The Human Cost: Vulnerability and Inequality 

The heat-power trap is not just an environmental or infrastructural issue—it is a social justice crisis. Rural and low-income populations bear the brunt of its impacts . These communities often lack uninterrupted electricity access, which means heatwaves simultaneously increase their cooling needs and weaken grid reliability, creating potentially deadly conditions .  

Studies on heatwave-linked mortality underscore this widening inequality . For instance, manual laborers, agricultural workers, and those without access to air conditioning face heightened risks of heat-related illnesses. As Aarti Khosla, Director of Climate Trends, notes, “Breaking this cycle is an equity imperative” .  

Regional Hotspots: Where the Heat-Power Trap Bites Hardest 

The study identifies specific regions where the heat-power dynamic is most severe. The table below summarizes the key hotspots:  

These regional disparities highlight the need for geographically tailored solutions. For instance, the Himalayan regions, which were once climate refugees, are now becoming heatwave hotspots, demanding entirely new energy planning approaches .  

Breaking the Cycle: Pathways to a Resilient Energy Future 

1. Scaling Storage and Grid Modernization 

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) notes that with every additional 0.5°C of global warming, heatwaves become more intense and frequent . For India, this means that without adequate storage, even rapid renewable expansion will fail to break the heat-power trap. Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are emerging as a critical solution. ICRA estimates that the levelized cost of BESS has declined to ₹4.0–₹7.0 per unit, making it increasingly viable . The government has already taken steps, such as viability gap funding for BESS and transmission charge waivers until 2028 .  

Pumped storage hydropower (PSP) is another alternative, costing around ₹5.0 per unit . However, BESS offers advantages in faster deployment and easier execution, which are critical for keeping pace with heat-driven demand spikes.  

2. Integrating Energy and Heat Resilience Planning 

A critical governance gap lies in India’s Heat Action Plans (HAPs). Currently, only four states, three cities, and one district incorporate renewable energy or battery-backed systems into their HAPs . Most focus narrowly on health responses, with little forecasting of electricity demand or grid stress during heatwaves .  

To address this, the report recommends:  

• District-level demand mapping to anticipate heat-season electricity needs.  

• Solar-powered cooling shelters and rural heat resilience hubs.  

• Mandatory cool roofs, shaded public spaces, and passive cooling in urban designs . 

3. Policy Reforms and Investment Priorities 

The slowdown in renewable bidding activity—from 47.3 GW awarded in FY2024 to just 5.8 GW in the first eight months of FY2026—signals underlying structural issues . Girishkumar Kadam of ICRA attributes this to transmission constraints and delays in signing PPAs . Reforming tender designs to include storage and ensuring realistic baseline price estimates are essential to revive investor confidence.  

Meanwhile, India’s broader climate commitments hinge on accelerating clean energy. While the country is on track to achieve 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030, storage and transmission remain the linchpins .  

The Global Context: Why India’s Heat-Power Trap Matters 

India’s struggle is a microcosm of a global challenge. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) notes that human-caused climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of heatwaves since the 1950s . In the United States, heatwaves have become more common, with the average number of events rising from two per year in the 1960s to six per year in the 2010s and 2020s . Similarly, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that the heat wave season across 50 cities is now 46 days longer than in the 1960s .  

For India, the implications are profound. The country avoided 440 MtCO2 in emissions between 2015 and 2020 due to climate policies, but these gains could be wiped out by the heat-power dynamic . As the Climate Action Tracker report highlights, global emissions in 2035 are projected to be more than double the level required for a 1.5°C pathway . India’s success or failure in breaking the heat-power trap will thus have global repercussions.  

Conclusion: A Crossroads for Climate and Energy Justice 

The heat-power trap is more than an energy crisis; it is a test of India’s ability to reconcile development with climate resilience. The solutions—storage, grid modernization, and policy integration—are within reach, but they require urgent action. As the Breaking the Cycle report emphasizes, “Unless India acts now to decouple heatwaves from fossil fuel demand, each summer will pull the country deeper into a climate, energy, and health crisis that will be far harder and costlier to undo” .  

For policymakers, the message is clear: treat heatwaves and power shortages as interconnected threats. For the international community, supporting India’s energy transition is not just about reducing emissions but about safeguarding the livelihoods of millions. And for readers, this story is a reminder that the fight against climate change will be won or lost in the interplay between sweltering days and the energy systems that struggle to keep us cool.