Rising temperatures drive up electricity consumption in Rajasthan

Soaring temperatures are driving up electricity consumption in Rajasthan, giving anxious moments to the state’s power sector and putting officials on their toes. 

The last fortnight recorded an increase of 300 lakh units in the electricity demand, which is continuously rising, sources in the energy department said.

“While the electricity consumption in the second fortnight of April was over 2,610 lakh units, the demand during the first week of May has almost touched 2,900 lakh units,” they said, adding that it is estimated to reach around 3,500 lakh units in the next 15-20 days.

To fulfil the growing demand, Rajasthan purchases electricity from other states at higher prices every year. This year, the temperatures are rising all over India and if the energy department fails to make arrangements, consumers may have to face power cuts by next month, which in turn will hit industrial production badly.

Industrial organisations have requested the state government not to wait till the month's end and start making arrangements for continuous electricity supply.

Over 2,450 lakh units of electricity were consumed in the state in April last year. In April 2024, it increased to over 2,700 lakh units. In the first week of May 2024, the consumption figure has increased to 2,900 lakh units. It is estimated that electricity consumption will increase by 8-10 per cent this year as compared to the last year.

The government will have to arrange electricity at any cost, Suresh Aggarwal, President of the Federation of Rajasthan Trade and Industry, said, asserting that if there is a shortage of it, the industries will be the first to bear the brunt of it.

The industrial production will stop and the state will have to suffer economic losses. The government should start the process of providing quality electricity without power cuts, Aggarwal said.

In January this year, power companies in Rajasthan had to impose four-to-five-hour cuts to meet the domestic demand, disrupting the winter crop irrigation. The state has a total power generation capacity of over 24,000 MWs, around 58 per cent comes from coal-fired power plants and around 10-12 per cent is generated by solar plants.