The power ministry on Monday mandated imported coal-based power plants to run at full capacity till September 30 to meet the high power demand amidst soaring temperatures across the country. The ministry had in February directed these plants to run optimally from March 16 to June 15 under Section 11 of the Electricity Act. Monday’s directive effectively extends this timeline by over three months.
Power demand, though earlier projected to peak around 229 GW in April, reached 216 GW in the month, and 221 GW in May, thanks to the turn in weather conditions. However, rising temperatures in the last two weeks have pushed the demand up. On June 9, India recorded the highest ever peak power demand at 223 GW, though still lower than the projected peak.
