NEW DELHI: Renewable energy's share in India's electricity generation rose to a record 20 per cent in July, while coal's contribution fell to its lowest level in a year, reflecting the country's growing reliance on clean energy, according to government data.Renewable power generation climbed 30 per cent year-on-year to 36.25 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in July, driven by higher output from solar and wind projects. As a result, coal's share in the power mix declined to 65.7 per cent, down from 69 per cent in June, based on Reuters calculations using Grid-India data. The milestone comes after solar and wind generation together crossed 100 gigawatts for the first time on July 13, meeting a record 42.8 per cent of the country's electricity demand during daytime hours."Most of the peak power demand is now occurring during the daytime, when solar generation is at its highest," said Manoj Kumar, an analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), noting that the increasing contribution of renewables is reshaping India's power generation profile.Despite its reduced share, electricity generated from coal-fired plants increased 12.8 per cent from a year earlier to 119.4 billion kWh in July, as overall power demand continued to rise.Analysts attributed the increase in coal generation to weaker hydropower output caused by El Niño-related weather conditions. Lower rainfall has reduced hydroelectric generation while above-normal temperatures have boosted demand for cooling, particularly during nighttime when solar power is unavailable.Hydropower output declined for a second consecutive month, prompting CREA to warn that reduced hydro generation and rising electricity demand could create a power shortfall of nearly 18 billion kWh, increasing dependence on coal-fired generation.Overall, India's electricity generation rose 10.4 per cent year-on-year to 181.79 billion kWh in July, highlighting robust growth in electricity demand even as renewable energy reached record levels.