Page 2 - Power Demand Forecast

India's peak power demand hits all-time high of over 257 GW on May 18

India's peak power demand hit an all-time high of 257.37 GW on Monday, primarily driven by increased usage of cooling devices such as air conditioners and desert coolers amid intensifying heat wave conditions, according to power ministry data. The peak power demand on Monday eclipsed the previous all-time high of 256.11 GW on April 25, 2026, at 1538 hrs. According to the power ministry data, peak power demand set a new high of 257.37 GW at 1542 hrs on Monday, and it was fully met. The Power Ministry projects that India's peak power demand will reach 270 GW this summer. Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has projected heatwave conditions this week in large parts of northwest and central India, as the mercury inched towards the 45-degree mark in many places on Monday. Isolated pockets of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi are expected to witness heat wave conditions between Monday and May 24, while heat wave to severe heat wave conditions are set to hit parts of

India's power demand likely to grow by 5 to 5.5% in FY27, says Icra

Rating agency ICRA on Thursday said power demand will rise by 5.0-5.5 per cent in 2026-27 as against a tepid one per cent growth in 2025-26, supported by continued momentum in industrial and commercial activity. The country's power demand growth in 2026-27 is likely to be supported by agricultural and household sectors given the expectation of sub-par rainfall amidst a potential El Nino, along with demand from industries as well as from emerging sources like electric vehicles and data centres, ICRA said in a statement. The all-India thermal plant load factor (PLF or capacity utilisation) level fell to 65-66 per cent in 2025-26 amid demand moderation and is likely to remain around 65 per cent in 2026-27, given the healthy growth in generation expected from the renewable sources and 6-GW capacity addition likely in the thermal segment. Ankit Jain, Vice President & Co-Group Head - Corporate Ratings, ICRA, said in the statement that the thermal power sector in India is witnessing a ...

India's power grid race: Can supply keep pace with surging demand?

India's power grid handled record demand this summer, but rising heat, renewable growth and industrial expansion are testing whether its infrastructure can keep pace

Delhi's peak power demand crosses 7,000 MW mark for the first time in April

Delhi's peak power demand crosses 7,000 MW in April for the first time as heatwave intensifies; discoms ramp up supply with renewables and short-term sourcing

India's power demand at fresh high of 256 Gw amid scorching heatwave

Fresh data from the Grid Controller of India shows that electricity demand met by the grid touched a peak of 256.11 GW at 3:38 pm on Saturday, 25 April, up from 252.11 GW recorded on Friday, 24 April

Power demand crosses record 256 GW as mercury levels rise across India

India's peak power demand hit an all-time high of 256.11 GW on Saturday due to an intensifying heat wave, which increased the use of cooling devices such as air conditioners and desert coolers, according to the latest power ministry data. The peak power demand on Saturday eclipsed the previous record of 252.07 GW, hit just a day earlier on Friday, April 24, at 1548 hrs. According to the power ministry data, peak power demand set a new high of 256.11 GW at 1538 hrs on Saturday, and it was fully met. Experts stated that peak power demand is inching towards the power ministry's estimate of 270 GW for this summer season, as mercury levels have begun to rise. Temperatures in several regions have been significantly above normal - by 5 degrees Celsius or more - indicating a developing heat stress scenario across parts of the country, according to the India Meteorological Department. On Saturday, Delhi recorded its highest maximum temperature of the year so far at 42.8 degrees Celsius, ..

Electricity consumption sees slowest growth in years on cooler weather

Energy supplied by state power retailers during the year rose almost 1 per cent, the worst performance since 2021 when electricity use declined due to the pandemic

Pakistan plans two-hour evening power cuts to tackle energy crisis

Distribution companies in Pakistan have been directed to inform consumers in advance about scheduled outages and to avoid unscheduled power cuts

India defers power plant maintenance to add capacity for summer peak

India will defer maintenance shutdowns at thermal power plants and operationalise additional capacity to ensure around 10,000 MW of extra supply during peak summer demand, the Ministry of Power said on Friday, as it moved to strengthen short-term electricity availability amid global uncertainty. Power plants have to annual take a shutdown for maintenance and repair of wear-and-tear in the machinery but this has been posted to make available electricity to meet peak demand, said Piyush Singh, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Power, at a media briefing. This will help augment 10,000 megawatt (MW) of generation, which will more than compensate for the 8,000 MW of generating capacity lost because of disruption in liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies due to the war in West Asia, he said. Also, imported coal-based plants are being fully operationalised and adequate coal stocks are being maintained at thermal stations to address near-term supply pressures. India's electricity syste

Coal India gains hinge on higher e-auction volumes, demand recovery

Coal India's performance depends on higher e-auction volumes and demand recovery amid rising competition, elevated inventories and evolving power sector dynamics

Energy mix needed to meet long-term power demand: Union Power Secretary

Union Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal on Saturday stressed the need for an "energy mix" approach to meet long-term power demand and asked Rajasthan power utilities to accelerate projects based on a combination of renewable and conventional sources. During a review meeting with senior officials of the state's energy department and power companies here, Agarwal said bundling renewable and non-renewable energy sources would help manage the rising electricity demand more efficiently. He noted that decentralised solar projects under the PM-KUSUM Scheme have gained momentum in Rajasthan, but also flagged challenges related to the grid integration of solar power. The Union Power Secretary emphasised the need to strengthen grid stability and to develop battery energy storage systems in a timely manner to ensure an uninterrupted power supply during peak hours, as per an official statement. He also reviewed issues such as daytime electricity supply to the agriculture sector in 24 districts, l

India's power demand growth to slow to 1% in FY26, lowest in 5 years: ICRA

ICRA expects India's power demand growth to slow to 1 per cent in FY26, the lowest in five years, citing a prolonged monsoon, weak demand and a high base effect

India sees power demand surge to a record, adding to energy crisis

The war in the West Asia, now in its third week, has roiled energy markets, cutting off flows of crude and liquefied natural gas to the world and driving up prices

Delhi peak power demand may cross 9K MW this summer amid heatwave fears

Power demand in Delhi may cross 9,000 MW this summer as above-normal temperatures and more heatwave days are forecast, with discom BSES preparing to meet higher electricity load

Coal India gears up to meet peak summer power demand, assures ample stocks

State-owned Coal India Limited (CIL) on Friday said it is geared up to meet a potential surge in summer coal demand, dismissing concerns of domestic fuel shortages as power consumption begins to rise. The company said a three-tier buffer across the supply chain - pithead stock, coal inventory at thermal power plants and ready-to-extract in-situ reserves - ensures comfortable availability ahead of the peak demand season. CIL's producing subsidiaries were holding 115 million tonnes (MT) of coal at pitheads as of February 26, 2026, a figure expected to rise further by the close of the fiscal year. Power plants typically require significantly higher quantities of coal during the summer months as electricity demand surges across the country. Rising temperatures lead to increased use of air conditioners, coolers, refrigerators and irrigation pumps, pushing peak power consumption to annual highs. Coal-based thermal power dominates India's electricity generation, accounting for roughly 70

Rising power demand could lead to higher emissions for India in 2026

After a rare dip in coal generation in 2025, India's emissions may edge up in 2026 as power demand rebounds and thermal plants anchor the grid

Power demand dips in November as temperatures fall; coal output declines

India's power demand dipped 0.3% to 123 BUs in November amid lower temperatures, even as peak demand hit a record 216 GW, with RE and hydro generation rising and coal output falling

Delhi's winter power demand to rise to new record high of 6,000 MW

Within the areas of power discom BSES, winter peaks last year reached 2,431 MW in BRPL and 1,105 MW in BYPL

India's electricity demand likely to grow 4-4.5% in FY26, says ICRA

ICRA expects electricity demand to rebound in the second half of FY26, with renewables and stable economic activity driving growth despite early monsoon effects

Draft bill floated to open up retail power sector nationwide to pvt firms

The move will allow private companies such as Adani Enterprises, Tata Power, Torrent Power and CESC to strengthen their presence across the country