Context:
The Ministry of Power’s data reflects that India’s Power Demand reached an all-time high of 250 GW on May 30, 2024.
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- India’s non-solar demand also touched an all-time high of 234.3 GW.
- India’s Northern and Western regions also achieved all-time high power demand of 86.7 GW and 74.8 GW respectively.
- Additionally, all-India thermal generation hit an all-time high, achieving a peak of 176 GW (ex-bus), especially during non-solar hours.
- This surge further underscores the significant capacity and operational efficiency of India’s thermal power plants, which continue to be the backbone of the nation’s energy mix.
- Uttar Pradesh saw a peak of 28 GW, followed by Maharashtra and Gujarat at 27 GW and 22 GW, respectively.
- Whereas in South India, Tamil Nadu saw a maximum peak of 19 GW, and Karnataka at 11 GW power demand.
- The Ministry of Power also changed its estimated peak demand to 260 GW from 236 GW for the financial year (FY25)
- Last year, peak demand in May was 221 GW, however, in FY24 the peak demand was met in September at 243 GW.
Reasons for Increasing Power Demand
- Several states set new peak demand records due to increasing temperatures this summer.
- The India Meteorological Department has issued a warning of a warmer summer this year with frequent heatwaves.
The implementation of section 11 of the Electricity Act 2003 facilitated the maximization of generation from imported coal-based plants and gas-based plants.
Current Power Status
- Data from the Grid Controller of India shows that power generation from all sources totaled 5,814 million units (MU), with renewables accounting for 1,048 MU.
- The peak energy demand grew 12.7% from 215.88 GW in 2022-23 to 243.27 GW in 2023-24.
- The electricity generation target for the year 2023-24 was fixed at 1,750 billion Units (BU), comprising 1324.110 BU Thermal; 156.700 BU Hydro; 46.190 Nuclear; 8 BU Import from Bhutan and 215 BU renewable energy sources (Excluding Large Hydropower).