At 167.49 GW, Peak power demand met in the first fortnight of August down by 5.65% from 177.52 GW recorded in August last year.
New Delhi, August 18: According to the power ministry data, the peak power demand has declined by 5.65% in the first fortnight of August after recording a 2.61% drop in July. Peak power demand met is the highest energy supply during a day across the country. At 167.49 GW in the first fortnight of August, it was down by 5.65% from 177.52 GW recorded in August last year, while at 170.54 GW in July this year, it was down by 2.61% compared to 175.12 GW in the same month last year.
Power demand has been stabilising since May this year after the government eased the lockdown to boost commercial and industrial activities, the Industry expert said. The government had imposed the lockdown on March 25, 2020 to contain COVID-19, which resulted in lower commercial and industrial demand for power.
The peak power demand met in April stood at 132.73 GW, declining 25% from the 176.81 GW recorded in the corresponding month a year earlier, chiefly due to lower commercial and industrial demand due to lockdown. It rose from May onwards after easing of the lockdown for more commercial and industrial activities, raising hopes that it will touch normal levels (recorded in the same month last year) from August onwards in the country. The peak power demand met In May was 166.22 GW, 8.9% less than 182.53 GW in the year-ago period. In June this year, peak power demand met had dipped by 9.6% to 164.98 GW, as compared to 182.45 GW in June 2019.
The power consumption as well as demand was expected to touch normal levels (recorded in the same month last year) from the current month onwards, the experts predicted, saying that the exact position would be known only after the end of August when complete monthly data would be available.
The data also revealed the slump in power consumption reducing to just 3.6% in July at 112.24 billion units (BU) as compared to 116.48 BU in the same month last year. While a month earlier in June, it showed a decline of 10.93% to 105.08 BU, as compared to 117.98 BU in the same month last year.
