Power demand in UP reaches 22k MW in summers, gap of 1-1.5k MW in peak hours: Min

The power demand in Uttar Pradesh reaches 22,000 MW in summers, while there is a gap of 1,000 to 1,500 MW between demand and supply during peak hours, Power Minister Shrikant Minister said on Friday.

"The demand of power keeps on changing, depending on the weather. While in winters, it remains 10,000 to 12,000 Mega Watts, the demand rises to 22,000 MW in summers," he said in a written reply in the state legislative assembly.

"The demand also keeps changing on a daily basis. In the evening (between 6 pm to midnight), the demand is more i.e. 4,000-5,000 MW. Normally, enough power is available, but during peak hours in the months of April to October, there is a gap of 1,000-1,500 MW in demand and supply," the minister informed the House.

Such a gap is usually met by short-term power purchase, energy purchase by power exchange, energy contract with Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, and arrangement with 16 schemes of West area, he said.

Sharma said a long-term plan has been made, keeping in mind the state's power demand of 43,282.17 MW by 2039-40.

"At present, we are getting 26,124.17 MW power by various schemes and 17,158 MW will be procured in future by different schemes," he said.

The power minister was responding to a question by SP member Nahid Hasan, who sought to know from the government the arrangements to meet the power demand of the state.