New Delhi: The city on Monday recorded its highest-ever peak power demand at 8,748 megawatts (MW), surpassing this season’s previous high of 8,647 MW, logged on June 18.Monday’s record electricity consumption was driven largely by the widespread use of air-conditioners and cooling appliances as the city continued to reel under sweltering heat with ‘feels-like’ temperatures crossing 50 degrees Celsius.According to state load dispatch centre data, Delhi recorded the peak demand at 3.17 pm, surpassing the previous all-time high of 8,656 MW registered on June 19, 2024. The new record is also 306 MW higher than the 2025 peak of 8,442 MW logged on June 12.The latest rise in electricity consumption comes amid an unusually power-intensive summer. Between June 1 and June 29, Delhi’s peak electricity demand exceeded the corresponding day’s demand in 2025 on 22 of the 29 days, which reflects the sustained use of high-cooling appliances due to the prolonged heat.Power minister Ashish Sood said, “Delhi made history by successfully meeting the all-time high peak demand. Our robust power network held strong with zero breakdowns or major infrastructure failures. It is the direct result of our govt’s meticulous power master plan and our sustained investments in upgrading the city’s transmission and distribution grid.”Delhi has around 75 lakh electricity consumers, with domestic households accounting for around 63 lakh or 84.4% of the total users, underscoring the city’s predominantly residential power demand. Non-domestic consumers, including commercial establishments, number around 11 lakh (14.9%), while industrial connections account for just 27,037 (0.4%), which shows Delhi’s limited industrial footprint.Over the past two decades, Delhi’s peak power demand has risen sharply due to rapid urbanisation, population growth and higher use of cooling appliances. Touching 2,879 MW in 2002, it crossed 7,000 MW in 2018 and continued climbing up. Based on current growth trends, the peak demand could cross 10,000 MW by 2028-29, according to official estimates.BSES officials said the company was fully prepared to meet the rising demand through a mix of long-term power purchase agreements, bilateral arrangements, banking of power with other states and procurement from electricity exchanges, whenever required. Artificial intelligence- and machine learning-based demand forecasting, along with advanced weather prediction tools, are being used to estimate electricity demand and optimise power procurement, the officials said.A Tata Power-DDL spokesperson said the company has taken measures to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply during extreme weather periods. “Our teams are working round the clock to maintain network reliability and ensure seamless power supply to consumers,” said the official.With the state load dispatch centre projecting that Delhi’s peak demand will cross 9,000 MW this summer, distribution companies said they have adequate power procurement arrangements in place to meet any further rise in electricity consumption.
