Delhi's peak power demand touches season-high as mercury crosses 45 degree Celsius

Delhi's peak power demand climbed to a season-high 7,776 MW on Tuesday as temperatures in the national capital crossed 45 degrees Celsius with the city recording its hottest day of the summer so far, PTI reported.According to the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) Delhi, the peak power demand reached 7,776 MW at 3.30 pm. On Monday, electricity demand had initially touched 7,542 MW at 4.05 pm before rising further to 7,600 MW at 11.11 pm.The national capital recorded a maximum temperature of 45.1 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, surpassing Monday's 43.4 degrees Celsius, which had been the second-highest temperature this season.The India Meteorological Department has forecast severe heatwave conditions in isolated parts of Delhi next week.Discom officials said the sharp rise in power demand during May reflected the impact of an intense and early summer.Earlier this year, Delhi crossed the 7,000 MW demand mark for the first time ever in April, touching 7,078 MW at 3.30 pm on April 27. In comparison, the city had crossed the 7,000 MW threshold only in May during 2024 and 2025.According to SLDC projections, against the all-time peak demand of 8,656 MW recorded in 2025, Delhi's electricity demand is expected to cross 9,000 MW this year.The highest peak demand during the summer of 2025 stood at 8,442 MW on June 12.Power distribution companies said preparations have been strengthened to handle the expected surge in demand.A BSES spokesperson said BRPL and BYPL are prepared to ensure uninterrupted power supply to over 53 lakh consumers and nearly 2.25 crore residents across south, west, east and central Delhi.The spokesperson said long-term power purchase agreements, banking arrangements with other states and AI and ML-based demand forecasting systems have been deployed to maintain reliable supply.Around 2,670 MW of green power is expected to support electricity demand in BSES areas, including around 840 MW from solar energy, 572 MW from hydro power, nearly 500 MW from wind energy and around 312 MW from Pumped Storage Plants (PSP).Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) said it has seamlessly supplied the season's peak demand of 2,220 MW across its network in north Delhi areas so far.