The objective of the study is to identify the 'best' possible power plant configuration based on 3-E (namely energy, exergy, and environmental) analysis of coal-based thermal power plants involving conventional (subcritical (SubC)) and advanced steam parameters (supercritical (SupC) and ultrasupercritical (USC)) in Indian climatic conditions using high ash (HA) coal. The analysis is made for unit configurations of three power plants, specifically, an operating SubC steam power plant, a SupC steam power plant, and the AD700 (advanced 700°C) power plant involving USC steam conditions. In particular, the effect of HA Indian coal and low ash (LA) reference coal on the performance of these power plants is studied. The environmental impact of the power plants is estimated in terms of specific emissions of CO2, SOx, NOx, and particulates. From the study, it is concluded that the maximum possible plant energy efficiency under the Indian climatic conditions using HA Indian coal is about 42.3% with USC steam conditions. The results disclose that the major energy loss is associated with the heat rejection in the cooling water, whereas the maximum exergy destruction takes place in the combustor. Further, the sliding pressure control technique of load following results in higher plant energy and exergy efficiencies compared to throttle control in part-load operation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.