The Daily Brief India has a new plan for hydropower
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Oct 15, 2025 India's ambitious new hydropower plan aims to optimize transmission in the Brahmaputra Basin, addressing vital geopolitical concerns and balancing renewable energy sources. The challenges hindering development include logistical and environmental barriers. Meanwhile, the discussion shifts to India's dependence on imported coking coal for steelmaking, highlighting domestic quality issues and the need for innovative solutions to reduce reliance. In quick snippets, retail inflation and a major jet update add further context.
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Transmission-First Shift For Hydro
- India is prioritising transmission over new dams to evacuate hydropower from the northeast.
- Transmission-first planning treats hydro as a flexible grid balancer rather than just generation capacity.
Hydro's Unique Grid Role
- Hydropower provides rapid ramping and frequency regulation that solar and wind cannot.
- Pumped storage plants let India store excess solar and discharge it at peak demand efficiently.
Pumped Storage Beats Batteries On Cost
- Pumped storage can be far cheaper per kWh over multi-hour cycles than lithium batteries.
- PSPs also last decades longer, improving long-term system economics for deep storage.