India, May 26 -- India could face power shortages within the next decade as rising air-conditioner use pushes cooling demand beyond the grid's capacity, a new working paper warns.

Room ACs already account for 60-70GW, nearly a quarter of India's peak electricity demand, according to the India Energy and Climate Center at UC Berkeley.

The report says India must more than double the pace of AC efficiency gains, from the historical rate of 2-3% a year to 6-8%, to manage future demand.

Without stricter efficiency standards, AC-driven peak demand could rise to 120GW by 2030 and 180GW by 2035, the study projects.

India is expected to add 130-150 million new ACs over the next decade as incomes rise and heatwaves intensify, the report says. ...