India faces power cuts as heatwave drives record electricity demand

Several regions faced power cuts as soaring temperatures pushed electricity demand beyond 270 GW, prompting calls for more judicious power use

India is grappling with power cuts in some regions as record-breaking heat has pushed electricity demand to an all-time high of more than 270 GW, prompting the government to urge consumers to limit usage.

 

An El Nino weather pattern is bringing above-average summer temperatures across the subcontinent in May, with nighttime outages lasting between 40 minutes and an hour in the manufacturing and information-technology hub of Chennai, residents said.

 

“South Chennai has seen frequent power cuts over the past two days, with outages at short intervals,” said R Hari, a resident of the southern city, who complained that the disruptions made it difficult to work from home.

 

India’s peak power deficit late on Thursday evening stood at about 2.57 GW, according to national regulator Grid-India.

 

“Although we are prepared to supply electricity as required, due to the intense summer, let us all try to use electricity wisely and judiciously,” the power ministry said in a statement on Friday.

 

Shortages are chronic during evening hours as supply then relies heavily on thermal and hydropower sources, while daytime demand is partly met through solar generation.

 

The record heat and surging electricity demand are testing India’s power system, said Disha Aggarwal, senior programme lead at energy and environment think tank CEEW, as hotter nights become more common.

 

India needs to urgently fast-track commissioning of battery storage systems to utilise surplus solar energy at night, she added.

 

From Friday to May 27, weather authorities have forecast “heatwave to severe heatwave conditions” for the national capital, New Delhi, along with large parts of northern and eastern India.

 

Several people in New Delhi and neighbouring Noida took to X to complain of power outages during the night.

 

In the eastern coastal state of Odisha, some users have protested against longer power cuts in several areas during both day and night, residents and media reports said.