Air Conditioners, Coolers Fuel New Power Demand Surge

India’s peak power demand touched an all-time high of 256.11 GW on Saturday as an intensifying heat wave drove increased use of cooling devices such as air conditioners and desert coolers.

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Power, the new record surpassed the previous high of 252.07 GW, which was registered just a day earlier on Friday at 3:48 PM.

Officials said the fresh peak demand of 256.11 GW was recorded at 3:38 PM on Saturday.

The ministry added that the entire demand was successfully met, indicating adequate power availability despite the surge in consumption.

Rising summer temperatures across several states have sharply increased electricity usage, especially during afternoon peak hours.

The latest milestone reflects growing stress on the grid during extreme weather, while also highlighting improvements in generation and transmission capacity.