- Why in news
- On 23 January 2026, at the close of the Power Ministry's Chintan Shivir at Parwanoo, Power Minister Manohar Lal released a CEA report on a roadmap to 100 GW of pumped storage by 2035–36.
- What it is
- The Central Electricity Authority's roadmap plans long-duration energy storage using hydro pumped storage projects (PSPs). PSPs pump water uphill when power is surplus and release it through turbines when demand is high. The roadmap assesses state-wise potential and suggests a phased capacity addition plan.
- Target
- The roadmap aims to commission 100 GW of pumped storage projects by 2035–36.
- Storage need
- The report projects storage needs of 62 GW by 2029–30 and 161 GW by 2034–35.
- Driver
- The need rises from non-fossil capacity growing to 500 GW by 2030 and 701 GW by 2035.
- Preferred design
- The report especially recommends off-stream closed-loop projects.
- Publisher
- The Central Electricity Authority is a statutory body under the Ministry of Power, set up under the Electricity Act, 2003.
- Wider storage goal
- The Shivir discussed a target of 300 GWh storage capacity by 2030.
Don’t confuse with Off-stream closed-loop vs on-stream PSP: Off-stream closed-loop projects use two reservoirs away from a river and recycle the water, so they have less impact on river flows. On-stream projects are built on a river.
Don’t confuse with GW vs GWh: GW measures power capacity (the rate of output). GWh measures stored energy. The 100 GW PSP target is capacity; the 300 GWh target is energy.
Reports and indices: 14 Prelims questions since 2013; they test who publishes a report and what it measures.
Why it matters
- Long-duration storage lets the grid absorb variable solar and wind power and supports grid resilience.
- Pumped storage uses largely indigenous technology and supports India's net-zero 2070 goal.
Problems
- PSPs have long gestation periods and high upfront costs, and need land and water clearances.
- Revenue and tariff models for storage are unclear, and environmental and forest issues can delay projects.
Way forward
- Put in place clear regulatory and tariff frameworks, and speed up approvals, as the report recommends.
- Prioritise off-stream closed-loop sites and phased capacity addition in states with high potential.
Put in your answer
Storage requirement: India needs about 161 GW of storage by 2034–35 as renewables grow.
Non-fossil capacity goal: Non-fossil capacity is expected to reach 500 GW by 2030, which drives storage demand.
- 2013Mains GS3 · Q17Define run-of-river hydroelectricity and contrast it with other hydro projects.
- 2024Prelims Q38Which option correctly names the context of pumped-storage hydropower?
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Energy storage topic is lasting and on syllabus; release gives only headline of the CEA roadmap, so too few facts for a question. Reports are 14 of 327 Prelims questions.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.