NEW DELHI: A day after peak power demand shattered all previous records and reached the projected level of 271 gigawatts (GW), the power ministry on Friday appealed to citizens to use electricity "wisely and judiciously."
Record-Breaking Demand Amid Heatwave
The ministry highlighted that the intense heatwave sweeping across the country has driven electricity demand to unprecedented levels over the past four days. "Although we are prepared to supply electricity as required, due to the intense summer, let us all try to use electricity wisely and judiciously," the ministry stated on social media platform X.
System Pressure and Energy Mix
Officials noted that the heavy cooling load is putting significant pressure on the power system. During the daytime, the peak is managed by 150 GW of installed solar capacity, which handles nearly one-third of the total load. However, in the evening, the grid relies primarily on coal, supplemented by hydro, wind, and nuclear energy. Coal-fired power remains the backbone of the grid during non-solar hours, meeting over two-thirds of the total peak demand.
Outages and Supply Shortages
The extreme heat and high electricity demand have led to outages in several parts of the country. A power ministry official clarified that there is no shortage of electricity supply at the grid level and that outages in states are mainly due to local distribution failures. However, data indicates a shortfall of 2.6 GW when non-solar-hour demand peaked at 252 GW on Thursday evening.
Rising AC Penetration Reshaping Consumption
The recent surge in demand is driven by extensive use of air conditioners in urban, semi-urban, and smaller towns. The sharp increase in AC penetration is transforming electricity consumption patterns across India, placing additional strain on the power infrastructure.
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