Photo by Pavel Neznanov on Unsplash

As the country grapples with a heat wave, power demand in India has surged significantly. In the first 13 days of June 2023, the average maximum demand met reached over 213 GW, compared to 197 GW in June 2022. The average daily shortage up to June 13 was 4.7 GW, whereas last year in June, it stood at 1.5 GW. The Grid Controller of India reported that the peak demand in June reached 223 GW on June 9, 2023, showing a 4.9% increase from the previous year's peak demand of 212 GW.

On June 13, 2023, the maximum demand during the day was 215.35 GW, with a peak shortage of 412 MW. Ministry officials predict that power demand in the country will remain high and may even surpass the previous peak of 223 GW in the coming weeks due to the scorching heat and delayed monsoon. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Skymet Weather forecast patchy monsoon rains until the first week of July, with maximum temperatures ranging from 40-42°C in many parts of the country.

The power ministry expects the peak demand to reach approximately 230 GW during April-June, and it is already approaching that level. However, the increased demand has led to reports of prolonged power cuts, with residents in Odisha, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh taking to social media to share instances of unscheduled power outages lasting up to two to three hours.

To mitigate a potential power crisis, the government has implemented several initiatives. Imported coal-based plants have been directed to operate at full capacity until September 2023. The ministry has invoked Section 11 of the Electricity Act, and the order has been extended until September 30. According to the Central Electricity Authority, as of June 12, 2023, 52 out of 180 thermal plants across the country have critical levels of coal stocks.