India’s Power Consumption up 25% during May First Week

Power consumption in the country grew by 25 per cent in the first week of May 2021 to 26.24 BU over the same period last year, showing a consistent recovery in commercial and industrial (C&I) demand for electricity.

Power consumption in the first week of May 2020 stood at 21.05 BU. The power consumption in the entire month of May last year was 102.08 BU, said the PTI report.

On the other hand, peak power demand met, which is the highest supply in a day, during the first week of this month remained well above the highest record of 166.22 GW in May 2020 except on May 2, when it was 161.14 GW, added the report.

During the first week of May this year, peak power demand met or the highest supply in a day touched the highest level of 168.78 GW on May 6, 2021 and recorded a growth of nearly 22 per cent over 138.6 GW peak met recorded in the same period last year on May 7, 2020. The power consumption in April grew by 41 per cent to 119.27 BU, it further said.

Power consumption in April 2020 had dropped to 84.55 BU from 110.11 BU in the same month in 2019, mainly because of fewer economic activities following the imposition of lockdown by the government in the last week of March 2020 to contain the spread of deadly COVID-19.

The power consumption also fell in May 2020 to 102.08 BU from 120.02 BU in May 2019.

Experts are of the view that high growth in power consumption as well as demand in May this year is mainly due to base effect but the data shows recovery so far even as the second strong wave of COVID-19 forced authorities to impose local lockdowns to contain deadly virus across the country. They have cautioned that local lockdowns may derail recovery in commercial and industrial power consumption and demand, said the media report.