Power outages persist in North India amid rising demand and heatwaves

Trouble could be mounting in the intra-state systems affecting power supply as states are still unwilling to bid out the lines at prices that would attract investors to upgrade capacities

Since mid-May, the median power drawn from the grid has been 240 GW, at least 20 GW more than the same period last year. The national grid is holding up well, but regions like North India still experience daily power outages despite the overall positive outlook.

In the intense heat waves, these outages can be disastrous, particularly in smaller towns where investments in state-level transmission lines are often lagging. The situation is quite different for inter-state transmission lines. “Investments there are quite healthy,” said former power secretary Alok Kumar. Major private sector players like L&T Power, Adani