India moves to sharpen weather forecasting amid renewable energy push

India is enhancing its weather forecasting capabilities to support the growing renewable energy sector, which depends on accurate, location-specific predictions for solar and wind power generation. Current forecasts are too broad and do not align with the 15-minute operational cycles of the national grid. Chairperson, Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Mr. Ghanshyam Prasad, speaking at the BloombergNEF Summit, emphasised the need for highly granular forecasting tools that can track localised cloud movements and weather changes. The government is also investing in long-term predictive models to assist planners in projecting weather trends over multi-year horizons, vital for balancing demand and supply in a renewable-driven power system.
These improvements are considered essential to maintaining stability in India’s power sector as renewable energy expands rapidly. The country added a record 22 gigawatt (GW) of new solar and wind capacity in the first half of 2025 and is targeting 500 GW of non-fossil fuel power capacity by 2030. To improve adaptability, the Central Electricity Authority is shifting from a five-year planning cycle to an annual model, allowing forecasts to be integrated more effectively. Officials noted that without advanced forecasting, sustaining the renewable-heavy grid would be difficult, underscoring the urgency of aligning weather prediction systems with India’s ambitious clean energy goals.

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