At 17 147 Mw Punjab S Power Demand Nears All Time High

Punjab recorded its highest electricity demand of the ongoing season on Monday as the peak power demand climbed to 17,147 MW — just 153 MW short of the all-time high of 17,300 MW recorded on July 5 last year.

Soaring temperatures, worsened by uncomfortable humidity levels, and the ongoing paddy transplantation season have sharply increased power consumption across the state over the past few days.

Lakhs of tubewells operate continuously to irrigate newly transplanted paddy fields. At the same time, high day and night temperatures have led to increased use of air-conditioners, coolers and other cooling appliances in households, commercial establishments and industries.

Friday first witnessed the season demand hitting a peak of 16,456 MẈ, soaring further to 16,842 MW on Sunday and crossing the 17,000 MW mark for the first time this season on Monday.

However, the utility managed to maintain adequate supply by relying on power procured from the central pool and optimising generation from its own thermal, hydel and other banking systems. Data from the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) showed that the utility successfully met the record demand by drawing 11,201 MW from the northern grid while generating 5,878 MW from its own sources.

Of the corporation’s own generation, thermal power plants contributed 1,566 MW, while independent power producers (IPPs) supplied 2,954 MW. The Ranjit Sagar Dam generated 560 MW, with all four generating units remaining operational. Other hydel stations together contributed 835 MW to the state’s power basket.

One unit of the Lehra Mohabbat thermal plant in Bathinda continued to remain out of operation, slightly reducing the state’s thermal generation capacity.

Despite the challenges, the corporation has continued to prioritise uninterrupted electricity supply, particularly to the agriculture sector, where power demand has increased sharply following the commencement of paddy transplantation across the state, officials said.

According to PSPCL officials, the corporation had made advance arrangements to meet the rising electricity demand by maximising generation from its own plants and securing adequate power from the central grid. The utility has been closely monitoring the demand pattern daily to ensure uninterrupted supply during the peak summer months.

PSPCL chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) Basant Garg, said, “We are committed to providing uninterrupted power supply to farmers during the paddy season.”

In what could provide some relief from the prevailing heat and humidity, the India Meteorological Department has predicted thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds at isolated places in the state from July 1 to July 5. The weather department has issued a yellow alert for all five days, asking residents to remain aware

Karam Prakash is a Patiala-based senior correspondent covering several districts of Malwa region of Punjab. He writes on various domains, including health, agriculture, power and education.