UP ranks second in power consumption amid heatwave, supply disruptions major concern

Lucknow: As summer temperature continues to climb, Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the country’s second-highest power-consuming state after Maharashtra, highlighting both the scale of demand and the stress on its electricity infrastructure.

The surge in consumption, however, has been accompanied by widespread outages, particularly due to shutdowns in several thermal power plants, which have disrupted supply in rural areas across the state.

A presentation by the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) during a review meeting convened by chief minister Yogi Adityanath revealed that from May 20-22, the state consistently recorded the second-highest peak electricity demand in the country.

On May 22, Uttar Pradesh met a peak demand of 30,476 megawatts (MW), trailing Maharashtra’s 31,103 MW, but staying ahead of states like Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan.

Officials said that the highest demand typically occurs in June, suggesting that the power system could face even greater pressure in the coming weeks.

Despite meeting high demand levels, the state has struggled to ensure consistent supply. The report highlighted that between May 15 and May 22, power generation capacity was adversely affected by outages ranging from 2,638 MW to 4,529 MW per day.

The most severe disruption occurred on May 20, when outages impacted 4,529 MW, leading to nearly 6 hours and 48 minutes of power cuts in rural areas. Even on May 22, rural consumers experienced close to four hours of supply interruption.

UPPCL attributed the crisis largely to the shutdown of 11 major thermal power stations during May. Several key units remained non-operational for extended periods.

The Ghatampur thermal power station, with a capacity of 660 MW, was shut for 18 days, while the Lalitpur plant of the same capacity remained offline for 11 days. The JSW-owned KSK Mahanadi plant (1,000 MW) was unavailable for 10 days.

Other affected units included Obra B (200 MW) for about 9.5 days, Anpara D (500 MW), Obra C (660 MW) for eight days, Anpara TPS (201 MW) and Jawaharpur TPS (660 MW) for shorter durations. These prolonged outages reduced power availability at the time of peak demand.

Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad chairman and Central Advisory Committee member Avadhesh Kumar Verma welcomed the CM’s intervention but accused UPPCL authorities of negligence in thermal plant maintenance, coal management and system expansion.

He demanded immediate restoration of all shut units along with a concrete long-term plan to strengthen the state’s power infrastructure.

Verma claimed there was a mismatch of more than 20 million kilowatts between demand and available system capacity. He also raised concerns over manpower shortages caused by layoffs of contractual staff in the power sector.

To manage the shortfall, officials informed the CM during the meeting that Uttar Pradesh has entered into power banking arrangements with 12 states and agencies. Under these agreements, the state has secured 4,663 million units (MUs) of electricity support, with Karnataka contributing 805 MUs, Jammu and Kashmir 762 MUs, and Tamil Nadu 725 MUs, among others.

However, officials said that such support has declined compared with last summer, as many states were choosing to sell electricity on power exchanges to capitalise on high demand and prices. To bridge the immediate gap, the state is also pursuing short-term purchases and direct negotiations with other regions to arrange an additional 700-1,000 MW during peak hours.

Verma claimed there was a mismatch of more than 20 million kilowatts between demand and available system capacity. He also raised concerns over manpower shortages caused by layoffs of contractual staff in the power sector.

To manage the shortfall, officials informed the CM during the meeting that Uttar Pradesh has entered into power banking arrangements with 12 states and agencies. Under these agreements, the state has secured 4,663 million units (MUs) of electricity support, with Karnataka contributing 805 MUs, Jammu & Kashmir 762 MUs, and Tamil Nadu 725 MUs, among others.

However, officials said that such support has declined compared to last summer, as many states were choosing to sell electricity on power exchanges to capitalize on high demand and prices. To bridge the immediate gap, the state is also pursuing short-term purchases and direct negotiations with other regions to arrange an additional 700-1,000 MW during peak hours.