India’s electricity consumption grew over 9 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to 117.84 billion units in February this year, according to government data, reported news agency PTI. The data showed that in February 2022, power consumption stood at 108.03 billion units (BU), higher than the 103.25 BU in the same month of 2021.
According to the report, the strong increase in power usage suggests that economic activity remained in high gear in February. Analysts had previously predicted that due to the continued improvement in economic activity as well as the rise in temperature, electricity consumption, and demand would experience a significant increase in March.
Electricity consumption in February 2020 stood at 103.81 BU.
According to government data, the peak power demand met, which is the highest supply in a day, rose to 209.66 gigawatts (GW) in February 2023. In 2022, the peak power supply stood at 193.58 GW, and in 2021 it was 187.97 GW. The peak power demand met was 176.38 GW in the pre-pandemic February 2020, the report said.
According to experts, larger growth rates in power demand and consumption are expected in the upcoming months as a result of expectations for warmer summer temperatures than last year, the report said.
In December last year, Power Secretary Alok Kumar told news agency PTI that the Union government will take all possible measures to meet the single-day peak demand of 230 gigawatts (GW) expected in April 2023.
Also Read: Govt Will Do Whatever Possible To Meet 230 GW Peak Demand In April 2023: Power Secretary
According to Alok Kumar, the demand in April next year could be as high as 230 GW. As per official data, the maximum all-India power demand met at 2:51 pm on April 26, 2022, was 201.066 GW.
To avoid a coal shortage in monsoon season, the power minister had asked state power generation companies to import 10 per cent of the coal requirement for blending purposes. The government also lifted the entire quantity of coal offered under rail-cum-road (RCR) mode rapidly to build coal stock.