Rise in power generation narrows peak deficit to 3.7%: CEA

An increase of nearly 20,000 MW of generation capacity narrowed the country's peak power deficit to 3.7% last month from 6.3% in June 2013, according to an official data.

Peak power deficit or shortfall in electricity supply when the demand is at its peak, last month, was 5,295 MW or 3.7%, the CEA (Central Electricity Authority) data showed.

The total power requirement during the month stood at 1,42,647 MW of which 1,37,352 MW was met.

Power shortage in June last year was to the tune of 8,597 MW, when the demand was 1,35,561 MW against a supply of 1,26,964 MW.

The peak electricity deficit in May this year was 7,061 MW or 5%. The power requirement was 1,41,855 MW of which 1,34,794 MW was met.

"There has been impressive power generation capacity addition of 19,700 MW in FY'14. This has resulted in the peak deficit coming down significantly to 3.7% from 6.3% in June last year," Debashish Mishra, Senior Director (Consulting), Deloitte, said.

Another reason for decline in the peak power deficit was lower industrial production.

"Because of severe industrial slowdown, the peak power demand grew less than 1% in FY14 or less than 1,000 MW in absolute term," Mishra said.

Northeastern region comprising Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland was the worst affected, recording a peak deficit of 9.2%.

The total demand in the region during June 2014 was 2,252 MW and supply 2,045 MW.

Meanwhile, the eastern part of India comprising states such as West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand was least affected reporting a deficit of 1.7%, the data showed.

The requirement was 16,628 MW against a supply of 16,342 MW.