Severe heat increased electricity shortage, demand reached 252.07 GW for the first time in India; old record broken

India Record Peak Electricity Demand 252GW: India is currently in the grip of extreme heat and heat wave, whose direct impact is visible on the country’s energy sector. According to the latest data released by the Power Ministry, electricity demand in India this weekend has broken all its previous records and has reached an all-time high of 252.07 gigawatts (GW).

Experts say the sudden rise in temperature due to massive use of air conditioners, coolers and other cooling devices has increased the pressure on the grid.

All previous records were broken

Electricity This surge in demand is extremely shocking. Earlier, the record for maximum demand of electricity was 250 GW, which was recorded in May 2024. If we analyze the data, it is found that there has been a huge increase in demand within just two days, the demand on April 22 was 239.70 gigawatts. It increased to 252.07 GW on April 24. Although the government had estimated 270 GW for this season, the current demand is currently slightly less than that estimate.

Why is electricity consumption increasing?

Weather is not the only reason behind record-breaking consumption. According to Krishna Chandra Panigrahi, Director General of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, due to the ongoing war in West Asia, the supply of LPG has been affected, due to which Indian consumers are now rapidly shifting towards induction-based cooking.

Due to this change, an additional increase of 13 to 27 GW is being seen in power demand at the distribution level. Additionally, electric vehicles (EV) and growing data centers may also increase this demand by three times in the future.

Government preparations

The Ministry of Power is working actively to meet the increasing demand. Additional Secretary of the Ministry, Piyush Singh has informed that India is working on a plan to add new capacity of more than 22 gigawatts between April and June 2026. This includes 3.5 GW thermal power, 10 GW solar power, 2.5 GW wind power, 1.9 GW battery storage and 750 MW hydropower.

Also read:- HDFC Loan: HDFC Bank reduced short term loan interest rates, know how much your EMI will reduce.

Big investment opportunities in power sector

India’s power sector is receiving strong policy support amid rising demand. According to a recent report, the sector is expected to generate capital expenditure (Capex) opportunities worth Rs 65-70 crore. Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that the heat may become more severe in May and June due to which electricity consumption is likely to increase further. In such a situation, investment in renewable energy and infrastructure has become essential to ensure the energy security of the country.