India’s peak power demand surged to an all-time high of 260.45 GW on Tuesday and was successfully met at 3:40 pm, said the power ministry on tuesday. The new record surpassed Monday’s peak demand of 257.37 GW during solar hours, which was also met without any shortfall. The Power Ministry said the country’s electricity supply system remains robust and adequately prepared to handle the sharp rise in summer demand. It has projected that peak electricity demand could touch 270 GW this summer.
The ministry also said that non-solar peak demand touched a fresh high of 247.21 GW at 10:29 pm on Monday.
The spike in electricity consumption comes amid severe heatwave conditions across northwest and central India. According to the India Meteorological Department, temperatures in several regions are nearing the 45-degree Celsius mark.
The weather office has forecast heatwave conditions in isolated parts of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi between Monday and May 24, while parts of Uttar Pradesh are expected to witness heatwave to severe heatwave conditions from Tuesday onwards.
Last summer, India recorded a peak power demand of 242.77 GW in June 2025, although it remained below the government’s projected estimate of 277 GW.
In May 2024, the country’s peak power demand had touched 250 GW, setting a record at the time and surpassing the previous all-time high of 243.27 GW recorded in September 2023.
Coal-based thermal power plants contributed nearly 69% of the total electricity generation on Monday, while renewable energy sources accounted for around 28%.
The peak power shortage on Monday stood at 601 MW, while total energy supplied reached 5.62 billion units (BU).
