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

New Delhi: India's peak power demand reached an all-time high of 252 GW on April 24, as temperatures soared across the country, pushing electricity consumption to a record level, reports Atul Mathur.According to data from Grid Controller of India, electricity demand touched 252.1 GW at 3.28 pm on Friday, up from 240.1 GW recorded on April 23, driven by increased use of ACs in both domestic and commercial sectors. The earlier highest-ever demand was registered on May 30, 2024, when it clocked 249.9 GW.With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting a harsh summer this year, the power ministry has estimated peak power demand at 271 GW. With heatwave conditions gripping major parts of the country, officials said electricity demand and consumption are likely to surge further this month.To put this in perspective, peak power demand in April last year was recorded at 235 GW. Due to milder weather in 2025, peak demand touched the year's highest level of 242.8 GW on June 12, though the power ministry had projected demand to reach 270 GW. Power demand crossed the 245 GW mark on Jan 9 this year due to intense cold conditions in north and northeast India.As per data compiled by Grid India, electricity consumption remained subdued till April 12 due to mild weather and sporadic spells of rain in north India, but has been steadily rising since April 13.The demand this week proved the grid controller's forecast wrong, which had estimated a peak of around 240 GW on April 24. For the April 27 - May 3 week, it has projected demand to remain subdued initially but to rise to 246 GW on May 1.Officials said demand may rise further as the IMD has indicated that heatwave conditions may develop in isolated pockets of j&k, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, UP, Rajasthan, and central India over the coming days."These weather conditions will push electricity consumption across the country, and power demand may rise further, setting a new peak in the coming days," said an official.