Statsguru: Rising summer temperatures push power demand in India

Weather advisories have warned of severe heatwave conditions across most of northern India. Rising summer temperatures have pushed power demand, with numbers rising closer to the power ministry’s projected peak of 260 gigawatts (Gw) this summer. 

Increased use of cooling equipment during heatwaves is said to be a key reason, although only around a quarter of households own air conditioners or air coolers in India. This is expected to multiply in the coming years and decades (chart 1).



Eastern India and North India have seen among the largest increases in peak power demand (chart 2).