As large parts of India continue to grapple with severe heatwave conditions, electricity consumption across the country has surged to a whole different level due to the increasing use of air conditioners, coolers, fans and other cooling appliances. Despite the sharp spike in demand, India successfully met a new peak power demand of 260.45 GW on Tuesday, setting a fresh national record.
Sharing the update on X, the Ministry of Power said, “Today, the peak power demand (solar hours) of 260.45 GW was successfully met at 15:40 hrs. This is a new high, surpassing yesterday’s peak demand (solar hours) of 257.37 GW, which was also successfully met."
Today, the peak power demand (solar hours) of 260.45 GW was met succesfully at 15:40 hrs.
— Ministry of Power (@MinOfPower) May 19, 2026
This is a new high surpassing yesterday's peak demand (solar hours) of 257.37 GW which was also successfully met.
The increase in electricity demand comes as temperatures crossed 45 degrees Celsius in several states, significantly raising daytime cooling requirements.
Surge in the electricity demand
Delhi too recorded its highest electricity demand of the current summer season. According to the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC), the national capital’s peak power demand touched 7,776 MW at 3:30 pm on Tuesday.
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India’s peak demand of 260.45 GW is substantially higher than the combined peak electricity demand of several neighbouring South Asian countries. Pakistan’s peak load stands at around 28.3 GW, Bangladesh at 16.5 GW, Sri Lanka at 3 GW, Nepal at 2.2 GW, Bhutan at 1.2 GW and Afghanistan at 0.8 GW. Together, these countries account for a combined peak demand of nearly 52 GW, meaning India’s grid is currently handling more than five times the instantaneous electricity load of all its South Asian neighbours combined.
Reason for the increasing demand
Officials said India managed the unprecedented surge in electricity demand through advanced resource adequacy planning, efficient scheduling and dispatch of available generation resources, and close real-time coordination between the National Load Dispatch Centre (NLDC), Regional Load Dispatch Centres (RLDCs), State Load Dispatch Centres (SLDCs), and generating stations. Efficient utilisation of transmission corridors also helped maintain an uninterrupted power supply across the country.
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Yesterday at 15:42 hours, the peak power demand of 257.37 GW was met without any shortfall.
— Ministry of Power (@MinOfPower) May 19, 2026
This peak demand was a new high surpassing the previous peak demand of 256.1 GW which was successfully met on April 25, 2026.
The peak demand was met through a diversified energy mix that included thermal, hydro, nuclear, gas, wind, solar and storage-based generation, ensuring grid stability despite the ongoing heatwave.
When India recorded its previous all-time peak demand of 256.1 GW on April 25, 2026, thermal power contributed 174,565 MW, nearly 67% of total generation. Solar energy supplied 56,204 MW, accounting for more than 21% of the total generation during peak hours. Hydro power added 11,422 MW, wind energy contributed 4,897 MW, while nuclear energy generated 6,293 MW. Gas-based plants supplied 5,205 MW, and storage systems, including Pumped Storage Projects and Battery Energy Storage Systems, contributed 201 MW. Officials said the diversified generation portfolio and coordinated grid management enabled the country to meet record electricity demand without major disruptions.
