Delhi bakes, records peak power demand for May ever

A scorched Delhi recorded the highest ever peak power demand of 8,439 MW in May on Monday.According to the State Load Dispatch Centre SLDC, the demand peaked at 3.35 pm.

A scorched Delhi recorded the highest ever peak power demand of 8,439 MW in May on Monday.

According to the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC), the demand peaked at 3.35 pm. This was the fourth time in the last six days when the power demand crossed the 8,000 MW mark.

Last May, the peak power demand remained below the 8,000 MW mark, discom officials said.

In 2024, Delhi's highest power demand in May was 8,302 MW.

As a heatwave sweeps the national capital, the demand for power between May 1 and May 25 was higher than the corresponding period last year on 20 occasions, and on 18 occasions in 2024.

Earlier, on April 27, Delhi's peak demand crossed the 7,000 MW mark for the first time in the month, touching 7,078 MW at 3.30 pm.

Delhi recorded its warmest night of May in nearly 14 years on Monday as the minimum temperature settled at 32.4 degrees Celsius, 5.7 degrees above the season's normal.

The last time the minimum temperature was higher in the month was on May 26, 2012, when it was recorded at 32.5 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

On Monday, the maximum temperature was 43.5 degrees Celsius. A BSES spokesperson said that its discoms successfully met the peak power demand, with BRPL and BYPL meeting loads of 3,745 MW and 1,820 MW.

The discoms said that they were fully prepared to meet the growing demand, which is expected to peak around 9,000 MW this year.

BSES discoms are fully geared up to ensure power supply to more than 53 lakh consumers and nearly 2.25 crore residents across areas in Delhi, said the company spokesperson.

A Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) spokesperson said the discom is currently sourcing nearly 1,115 MW of green power as part of its expanding renewable energy portfolio.

In addition, the company has planned procurement of up to 550 MW through short-term bilateral arrangements to effectively manage peak summer demand.

The discom successfully met its peak demand of 2,416 MW, the highest so far this season, without any network constraint or power disruption, she added.