Chandigarh, May 21
Punjab’s electricity demand surged to a record 14,238 MW on Wednesday, as a relentless heatwave tightened its grip across the state, according to the Northern Regional Load Despatch Centre (NRLDC) report. The spike in demand plunged several rural, suburban and Kandi areas into prolonged outages, disrupting water supply and triggering voltage fluctuations. Officially, the cuts were pegged at 23 Lakh Units (LU).
On Thursday morning, the maximum demand again touched 13,871 MW, marking the second consecutive day of extreme load. By 10 am, demand stood at 13,828 MW, with the state drawing 9,772 MW against a scheduled 10,471 MW from the northern grid, while its own gross generation was 4,051 MW.
The demand has been rising by nearly 1,000 MW daily after mid‑May, following a relatively cooler first fortnight. Currently, two units at Ropar, three at Lehra Mohabbat and two at Goindwal are operating at half load. One Ropar unit is down for annual maintenance and is expected to resume on May 26. State thermal generation was 1,560 MW, private thermal generation 2,980 MW and solar power 300 MW.
While the power demand has surged, the coal stocks are adequate: Lehra Mohabbat has 25 days, Ropar 35 days, Goindwal 24 days, while private plants Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo hold 26 days and 20 days, respectively.
Punjab’s total installed capacity stands at 14,896 MW though actual generation consistently falls short of installed figures. Officials project Punjab’s maximum demand could soar to 18,000 MW during the paddy season. While the state expects to draw 10,500 MW from the northern grid and generate 6,500 MW internally under ideal conditions, experts caution that “force majeure” factors could derail these projections.
Former Punjab Minister and senior SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia lashed out at the AAP government, accusing it of plunging the state into darkness. “People are being forced to endure 10-hour long power cuts as the ill-prepared Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) fails to meet Punjab’s power demand. Nights sink into darkness while the government basks in PR campaigns. With paddy season looming, the crisis threatens to worsen, yet there is no preparation, no vision, no roadmap—only political drama,” stated Majithia.
