India Sees Surge In Power Demand, Consumption Up Nearly 7% In March

India's electricity consumption surged by nearly 7% to 148.48 billion units in March, compared to 138.95 BU in March 2024, driven by rising temperatures. The peak power demand, representing the highest daily supply, also increased to 235.22 gigawatts last month, up from 221.68 GW in March 2024.

In May 2024, the peak power demand reached an all-time high of approximately 250 GW. This surpassed the previous record of 243.27 GW, set in Sept. 2023. The Ministry of Power had projected a peak demand of 260 GW for the 2024 summer, and forecasts indicate it could reach 277 GW by the summer of 2025.

Experts anticipate further increases in power demand and consumption from April onwards, due to expected above-average temperatures. The India Meteorological Department predicts hotter-than-usual conditions from April to June, with more heatwave days in central and eastern India and the northwestern plains.

Most of India is likely to experience higher-than-normal maximum temperatures in April, although some areas in the extreme south and northwest may have normal temperatures. Minimum temperatures are also expected to be higher than usual across most of the country, except for a few locations in the northwest and northeast.

This year, heatwaves arrived earlier than in 2024. The first heatwave in 2024 was recorded in Odisha on April 5, while parts of Konkan and coastal Karnataka experienced heatwaves as early as February 27-28 in 2025. Experts suggest India should prepare for a 9 to 10% growth in peak electricity demand this summer, given the anticipated increase in heatwave days.

(With inputs from PTI).