Draft National Electricity Policy (NEP) 2026 targets 2,000 kWh per capita consumption and 100 GW nuclear capacity

Key facts

• The Ministry of Power (MoP) launched the Draft National Electricity Policy (NEP) 2026 on Jan 21, 2026, to transform India’s power sector to meet the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
• The Draft NEP 2026 sets a target of 2,000 kWh per capita electricity consumption by 2030, rising to over 4,000 kWh by 2047.
• The policy mandates a 45% reduction in emissions intensity by 2030 (vs 2005) and aims for net-zero emissions by 2070.
• The NEP 2026 promotes low-carbon pathways through large-scale renewable integration and nuclear expansion to 100 GW by 2047.
• By 2030, renewable energy sources will have equal scheduling and deviation rights as conventional sources like coal.
• The policy aims for single-digit Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses and mandates N-1 Redundancy for cities with over 10 lakh people by 2032.
• The NEP 2026 introduces functional unbundling of State Transmission Utilities (STUs) to create independent SLDCs and mandates that all power sector data must be stored in India.
• The MoP proposes exempting cross-subsidies for industries, railways, and metros to lower power costs and boost manufacturing competitiveness.