India’s Power Demand Hits Record 270 GW as Cooling Needs Surge: Report

India’s peak power demand reached a record 270 gigawatts (GW) on May 21, 2024, driven by intense and prolonged heatwaves across the country, according to Climate Trends data.

Recent data shows that residential cooling is now the primary driver of power demand growth, surpassing industrial sectors. Non-industrial states such as Uttar Pradesh have recorded higher peak power consumption than major manufacturing hubs like Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Rapid urbanisation has transformed cities into "heat traps" through the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, which makes urban areas 2 degrees Celsius to 10 degrees Celsius hotter than rural surroundings. This trend is particularly pronounced in northwest India. The use of air conditioners is projected to expand to 40% of Indian households by 2030. While providing indoor relief, these units exacerbate the UHI effect by releasing significant waste heat back into the urban environment.

Rising Urban Cooling Demand

Increased humidity and rising nighttime temperatures are further intensifying the cooling crisis. India’s average nighttime temperature rose by about 0.21 degrees Celsius per decade from 2010 to 2024, with states like Sikkim and West Bengal showing strong warming signals. Elevated nighttime heat prevents buildings from cooling down, causing residential demand to remain high well past midnight. Additionally, compound hot-humid days increased from 14,086 in the 2015–2019 period to 16,970 between 2020 and 2024.

These shifts have created significant challenges for grid management. On the day the 270 GW record was hit, solar power provided 80 GW, or roughly 22% of the supply. However, as solar generation drops after sunset, the grid must rapidly scale up conventional fuels to meet sustained cooling loads into the night.

Experts suggest various mitigation strategies, including high-albedo roofing to lower surface temperatures by up to 25 degrees Celsius. Other recommendations include expanding blue-green infrastructure like wetlands and parks, and incentivising rooftop solar for low-income housing. Implementing smart grids and energy storage at the district level is also considered essential for stabilising the supply.

Heatwaves Pressure Power Grids

The 2024 International Energy Agency (IEA) report stated that the extreme temperatures are driving strong demand for much-needed cooling technologies such as air conditioners. However, these are also pushing up electricity use to record levels and straining power grids around the world.

“In 2024, more than 40 countries representing nearly 70% of global electricity demand, including Brazil, China, India, Mexico and the United States, reached new power peak demand records during heatwaves, while many others suffered major power outages and rolling blackouts,” stated the IEA report.

The IEA report further underscored that electricity grids in countries with high AC ownership and hot climates are particularly impacted.

The agency also noted that air conditioning could become a major driver of electricity demand growth, intensifying pressure on power grids and urban infrastructure in the coming decades.