Rising Peak Power Demand Unregulated E Rickshaw Charging Pushing Up Grid To The Brink

As Uttar Pradesh continues to witness unprecedented electricity demand during evening and night hours, power authorities are increasingly attributing the stress on the grid to the changing consumption patterns with charging of electric vehicles, especially e-rickshaws, emerging as a significant new contributor.

Officials estimate that EV charging alone now might be contributing nearly 2,000mw to peak load that is often experienced between 9pm and midnight. This is precisely the time when the overall electricity demand is at its highest and solar power generation that remains over 2,000-3,000mw in the daytime becomes zero after sunset.

According to officials, the issue is less about the number of EVs and more about the timing and pattern of charging. UP currently has more than 15 lakh EVs, of which over 12 lakh are commercial vehicles, largely e-rickshaws.

“Since most of the e-rickshaw operators work during the day, charging typically begins after business hours and continues through the evening and night,” a senior UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) official said.

He claimed a substantial part of this EV charging, especially in villages and small towns remains informal with many vehicles being charged by temporary, shared or unauthorised connections instead of dedicated EV infrastructure with a separate tariff category. This not only creates concentrated localised loads straining the distribution network that often gives in but also causes revenue loss to the department.

The recent data submitted by the UPPCL to the UP Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) as part of the Annual Revenue Requirement exercise points to the rapid expansion of EV-related electricity demand. The officially sanctioned EV load rose from 76,376kw in 2024-25 to 123,009kw in 2025-26 and further to 183,779kw in 2006-27, an increase of about 61% in one year, making EV load the fastest-growing among all the consumer categories in recent years.

Power officials, however, say EVs are only one part of the larger story. Domestic air-conditioners are being seen as the biggest load enhancer. With many households shifting from coolers to ACs, officials estimate coupling alone now contributes nearly 5,000mw peak demand.

Agricultural consumption has also risen sharply. UP has around 15 lakh private tubewells and these are officially the second largest electricity users after domestic consumers.

“Since feeder separation has been completed for only 20-25% of agricultural connections, a large number of tubewells continue to operate through domestic feeders receiving longer supply hours,” a senior UP State Load Dispatch Centre official said, adding: “Delayed and uncertain monsoon conditions have further increased dependence on groundwater irrigation.”

Officials also indicate that greater use of electric cooking appliances in some households after the recent LPG crisis added incremental demand.

With peak demand hovering around 32.000mw in the night when the solar generation drops to nil, utilities are finding it more difficult to balance supply and demand between evening and midnight when rural areas are brought under load shedding as a mechanism to manage the load.

Brajendra K Parashar is a Special Correspondent presently looking after agriculture, energy, transport, panchayati raj, commercial tax, Rashtriya Lok Dal, state election commission, IAS/PCS Associations, Vidhan Parishad among other beats.Read More