Country's installed generation capacity exceeds 160 GW

With the addition of around 1,700 MW of fresh capacity, during May 2010, the installed power generation capacity of the country has increased to 1,61,351.80 MW, surpassing the 160 GW mark. A remarkable capacity addition has been witnessed in the renewable energy sector, wherein an aggregate capacity worth of 908.31 MW has been achieved. The thermal and the hydropower sectors have added capacities of 745 MW and 50 MW, respectively, to the country's generation portfolio, over the last month. According to a recent report prepared by the Central Electricity Authority, the total installed power generation capacity of India, as of May 31, 2010, stands at 1,61,351.80 MW, of which thermal power plants-- powered by coal, gas, naphtha and oil-- account for around 64.11%, while the hydroelectric plants contribute 22.87% and nuclear power plants account for 2.82%. The share of renewable power capacity at 10.81%, for the first time stands above 10%.
 As per the report, the western region of the country has the highest installed capacity, of 50,689.22 MW, followed by the southern region, with a capacity of 44,241.30 MW, and the northern region, with 42,722.62 MW. Notably, the hydropower rich north-eastern region has an installed capacity of 2,302.93 MW, which is the least of any major region of the country, constituting 1.43% of the country`s aggregate. Further, the installed capacity of the eastern region stands at 21,319.46 MW, while that of the island regions has been pegged at 76.12 MW. The grid connected captive generating capacity of the country aggregates to a total of 19,509 MW.