Elections add to heat as power demand touches record high
Peak power demand of the country touched a record high of 176.5 gigawatt (GW) on Friday as temperatures soared with the onset of summer. Given the election season, states are also determined to minimise power cuts till the polls. Friday’s peak demand was 11.6% higher than the demand recorded on the same day in 2018.
Power demand in Karnataka was up 30% from the same day a year ago. Other major states registering high growth in consumption were Odisha (23.1%), West Bengal (18.9%), Bihar (17.7%), Uttar Pradesh (17.1%), Madhya Pradesh (15.2%), and Gujarat (12.6%). As FE reported in March, states had started making arrangements to tie up with power suppliers on a short-term basis for election months at prices much higher what than they normally pay.
