Solar energy paired with battery storage has become more affordable than traditional coal-generated power in many of India’s largest states. According to the authors of the newly released report, this technology can now meet the vast majority of electricity needs at a lower cost than current power purchase prices in most regions.
The report states that “coal power costs are rising while solar and batteries offer a reliable and cheaper alternative.” Furthermore, the analysis finds that in seven of India’s largest states, “solar with batteries can provide 90% of electricity at a comparable LCOE to the low-end new coal tariff of INR 5/kWh ($55/MWh).”
This means that the total cost of building and running solar farms along with large-scale batteries has dropped so much that it is now often cheaper than buying electricity from coal plants. While solar only works when the sun is out, these batteries store that energy so it can be used at night or when it is cloudy, making the renewable system just as dependable as old-fashioned fossil fuels but for less money.
The report “Battery storage is now cheap enough to unleash India’s full solar potential” was published by the energy think tank Ember on April 7, 2026. It was prepared by a team of analysts led by Kostantsa Rangelova and Duttatreya Das.
