VIJAYAWADA: Anticipating a sharp surge in electricity consumption driven by persistent high temperatures, a delayed monsoon, and the looming threat of El Niño conditions, the state government has initiated a comprehensive strategy to fortify the power grid.
Special Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister (Energy) K Vijayanand on Thursday chaired a high-level virtual review meeting with top power utility heads to evaluate supply preparedness and contingency planning for the upcoming crucial months of August and September 2026. The intervention comes on the heels of unprecedented power consumption levels that have tested the AP’s transmission capacity.
Senior officials briefed the grid command that AP recorded its highest-ever electricity consumption in July, with daily energy demand peaking at a staggering 285 Million Units (MU) on July 15, 2026. This spike reflects multi-sectoral growth in power requirements spanning agricultural, domestic, and industrial consumer categories across the state.
To counter potential grid strain and prevent supply deficits, Vijayanand directed the state power distribution companies (DISCOMs) to make advance arrangements.
He instructed them to aggressively procure short-term power through power exchanges and the Term-Ahead Market whenever necessary to shield consumers from outages.
Furthermore, the Special Chief Secretary ordered APGENCO to maintain robust buffer coal stocks at all thermal generating stations to sustain uninterrupted generation during peak load hours.
Emphasisng the absolute necessity of institutional synergy, he ordered continuous, round-the-clock coordination among the Andhra Pradesh State Load Despatch Centre (APSLDC), APGENCO, APTRANSCO, the Andhra Pradesh Power Coordination Committee (APPCC), and all regional DISCOMs.
This collaborative network will closely monitor real-time demand and transmission system readiness to manage any sudden contingency.