How deep can the electricity crisis get?

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Due to the increase in temperature in northern India, there has been a significant surge in the demand for electricity. As a result, several states including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, and Odisha are grappling with severe power cuts. Even certain parts of the national capital have witnessed continuous power outages. However, officials have attributed this to tripping, cable and transformer faults, and other local issues.

This year, due to unseasonal rainfall in May, the temperature remained below normal for a few days. However, starting from June, the temperatures have increased, leading to a significant surge in the demand for electricity. Figures indicate that on June 9th, the demand for electricity reached a record level of 223 gigawatts (GW), surpassing last year’s record demand of 216 gigawatts.

According to the recent data from the Grid Controller of India, the maximum demand for electricity increased to 218.67 gigawatts on June 13th. This demand was recorded at 2:45 pm. In Delhi alone, the demand for electricity crossed the mark of 7 gigawatts, which is 7,098 megawatts, on Tuesday afternoon. It is expected that this year the demand for electricity will touch the level of 230 gigawatts, further exacerbating the power crisis in the country.

Experts have said that after the onset of the monsoon, there might be a reduction in the demand for electricity in the coming days. In southern states where rainfall has already begun, the demand is already decreasing. However, currently, power cuts in northern states remain a significant issue. Vikram V, Deputy Head of Corporate Ratings and Sector Head at ICRA Limited, mentioned in media reports that coal availability is not an issue this year. Power plants usually maintain an average stock of coal for 13 days. However, in some states, power generation companies  may have lower coal supplies compared to the national average. In such a scenario, the electricity crisis can deepen.

The central government has made efforts this year to ensure an adequate supply of domestic and imported coal to prevent a situation of power crisis like last year. Considering the increasing demand for electricity, the Ministry of Power has directed all coal-based power plants, relying on imported coal, to operate at full capacity until September.