Power demand defies forecasts, officials say consumption likely to surge further

New Delhi: India's highest powerfulness request reached an all-time precocious of 252 GW connected April 24, arsenic temperatures soared crossed the country, pushing energy depletion to a grounds level, reports Atul Mathur.According to information from Grid Controller of India, energy request touched 252.1 GW astatine 3.28 p.m. connected Friday, up from 240.1 GW recorded connected April 23, driven by accrued usage of ACs successful some home and commercialized sectors. The earlier highest-ever request was registered connected May 30, 2024, erstwhile it clocked 249.9 GW.

With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting a harsh summertime this year, the powerfulness ministry has estimated highest powerfulness request astatine 271 GW.

With heatwave conditions gripping large parts of the country, officials said energy request and depletion are apt to surge further this month.To enactment this successful perspective, highest powerfulness request successful April past twelvemonth was recorded astatine 235 GW. Due to milder upwind successful 2025, highest request touched the year's highest level of 242.8 GW connected June 12, though the powerfulness ministry had projected request to scope 270 GW. Power request crossed the 245 GW people connected Jan 9 this twelvemonth owed to aggravated acold conditions successful northbound and northeast India.

As per information compiled by Grid India, energy depletion remained subdued till April 12 owed to mild upwind and sporadic spells of rainfall successful northbound India, but has been steadily rising since April 13.The request this week proved the grid controller's forecast wrong, which had estimated a highest of astir 240 GW connected April 24. For the April 27 - May 3 week, it has projected request to stay subdued initially but to emergence to 246 GW connected May 1.Officials said request whitethorn emergence further arsenic the IMD has indicated that heatwave conditions whitethorn make successful isolated pockets of j&k, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, UP, Rajasthan, and cardinal India implicit the coming days."These upwind conditions volition propulsion energy depletion crossed the country, and powerfulness request whitethorn emergence further, mounting a caller highest successful the coming days," said an official.