Record surge in power demand in Punjab

Tribune News Service

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, January 5

As the winter season peaks, Punjab is witnessing a record surge in the demand for power. Thanks to the free 300 units of power dole to domestic consumers, the demand for power for domestic consumption is leading to the surge in demand.

Information available with The Tribune shows that the power demand touched a peak of 8,736 MW on Wednesday, as compared to 6,321 MW on the same day last year — an increase of 24 per cent. It is learnt that the power consumption among domestic consumers is up by almost 40 per cent. Since 300 units of power per month is free, consumers have reportedly started using more power.

In December, the overall consumption had increased by just four per cent. In January, the consumption is up by 21 per cent. The consumption has been rising steadily since December 22, as per the power demand and consumption trends.

As the state braces to meet this unprecedented power demand, all thermal power generating units are now running to their full capacity. Official sources in the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited have told The Tribune that they have also asked GVK — a private power generation company at Goindwal Sahib — to start operating its second unit to meet the growing demand.

With the Ropar Headworks (canal water supply) being closed for 21 days, the demand for power in both agriculture and for drinking water supply through tubewells is bound to go up further. “In addition to running our thermal units to their full capacity, we have also started buying power from the exchange. Since the demand peaks in the morning and evening, we are forced to buy power during these peak hours at Rs 7-12 per unit,” said a senior officer.

Even as the government has been claiming that 90 per cent of the domestic consumers are getting zero power bills, the subsidy burden for free power is going up.

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