Delhi’s power demand surged to a record 8,231 MW on Thursday afternoon, the highest-ever peak power demand recorded in the first 21 days of May, as the national capital reeled under intense heatwave conditions and soaring temperatures touching over 45 degrees Celsius in some areas.
According to the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) data, the city’s peak power demand touched 8,231 MW at 3.31 pm, surpassing Wednesday’s peak of 8,039 MW and marking the second consecutive day that demand crossed the 8,000-MW mark.
Power discoms said the sharp rise reflected the impact of an early and prolonged summer, with cooling appliances operating extensively across households and commercial establishments. Officials noted that between May 1 and May 21, Delhi’s peak power demand in 2026 remained higher than corresponding days in 2025 on 16 out of 21 days and exceeded 2024 levels on 14 days during the same period.
BSES discoms said they successfully met peak loads of 3,762 MW in the BRPL area and 1,838 MW in the BYPL area without major outages. The company said it had made extensive preparations to ensure uninterrupted supply for over 53 lakh consumers and nearly 2.25 crore residents across South, West, East and Central Delhi.
According to the BSES officials, arrangements include long-term power purchase agreements, bilateral tie-ups, banking arrangements with other states and the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning-based demand forecasting systems to manage supply during peak consumption hours.
Officials also said around 2,670 MW of green power would contribute towards meeting summer demand this year. This includes nearly 840 MW from solar energy, 572 MW from hydro power, 500 MW from wind energy and additional supply from pumped storage plants, rooftop solar systems, hybrid renewable sources and waste-to-energy facilities. A 20 MW battery energy storage system at Kilokri is also expected to support grid stability during peak hours.
The rise in power demand came as Delhi continued to face severe heatwave conditions. The Ridge station recorded a maximum temperature of 45.3 degrees Celsius, while Safdarjung logged 43.6 degrees Celsius. Palam and Lodhi Road also recorded temperatures above 44 degrees Celsius.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heatwave conditions over the next seven days along with warm night conditions over the next two days. An orange alert remains in place for the Capital, with the authorities advising residents to remain prepared and take precautions against extreme heat exposure.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality also deteriorated on Thursday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) entering the “poor” category at 209 by 4 pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board data.
