Amid heatwave, Delhi's peak power demand reaches record high of 8,647 MW

Persistent heat wave drove the national capital's peak power demand on Tuesday afternoon to 8,647 MW, the highest ever for the city, discom officials said.

The previous highest peak power demand of Delhi was 8,302 MW on May 29 this year. Delhi's peak power demand reached 8,000 MW for the first time on May 22, 2024, they said.

The extreme heatwave continues to push the city's power demand northwards, soaring to 8,647 MW at 3:22 pm on Tuesday, according to the State Load Dispatch Centre, Delhi.

The cooling load due to the increased use of air conditioners and coolers amid the relentless heat wave has led to a record rise in power demand in the national capital. Since May 22, Delhi's peak power demand has crossed 8,000 MW eight times so far, discom officials said.

"The power demand can be attributed to weather conditions that led residents to use more air conditioning and cooling appliances, pushing electricity consumption. It is estimated that air conditioning can contribute to 30-50 per cent of domestic and commercial power consumption," said a discom official.

The national capital on Tuesday recorded a minimum temperature of 33.8 degrees Celsius, six notches above the season's average. The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 45 degrees Celsius, weather department officials said.