​UP power demand doubles in 15 years, peaks above 31,000 MW

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh’s electricity demand has more than doubled over the past 15 years, with the state recording its highest ever power demand of 31,824 MW on May 24 night.Last year on June 11, the state recorded power demand of 31,486 MW.Data from the Uttar Pradesh State Load Dispatch Centre (UPSLDC) shows a steady rise in demand.During the BSP govt between 2007 and 2012, UP’s maximum demand met stood at 11,767 MW in 2011-12 while during the Samajwadi Party govt (2012-2017), the figure rose to 16,110 MW in 2016-17.The rise accelerated after the BJP took over the reins of the state in 2017.In 2017-18, the state’s peak demand was 18,061 MW which crossed 20,000 MW in 2018-19 and reached 23,867 MW in 2020-21 despite coronavirus pandemic.The demand further climbed to 24,795 MW in 2021-22, 26,589 MW in 2022-23, 28,284 MW in 2023-24 and 30,618 MW in 2024-25. In 2025-26, UP touched 31,486 MW on June 11, 2025.According to the UPSLDC report dated May 25, 2026, UP was meeting demand through a mix of thermal, hydro, solar and imported power. Thermal generation remained the backbone of supply with major contributions from Anpara, Obra, Parichha, Harduaganj, Bara, Khurja and Jawaharpur thermal plants.

Private and joint sector projects also contributed significantly.Hydropower stations including Rihand, Vishnuprayag and Alaknanda added to the supply basket, while solar generation and power purchases from the energy exchange helped bridge peak demand.Notably, between 2015 and 2026, the UP govt recorded a sharp rise in power procurement tie-ups across several sources, including thermal, hydro, solar, wind, atomic, and renewable energy.The total contracted power during this period stands at about 32,305 MW. Major contributions come from solar (7,912 MW), peak renewable energy (7,685 MW), and thermal sources (7,090 MW). The data also shows that nearly 62% of total tie-ups were executed in the last three years, indicating accelerated procurement efforts.Power outages disrupted rural supply more in MayLucknow: Uttar Pradesh faced significant disruptions in power supply between May 15 and May 22, primarily affecting rural areas.Official data shows that power outages and reduced generation capacity led to deficits, with the highest disruption recorded on May 20, when a total of 4,529 MW was affected. This resulted in nearly 6 hours and 48 minutes of disrupted power supply in rural areas.On other days, the total impacted quantum ranged between 2,638 MW and 3,727 MW, with rural consumers experiencing outages lasting between about 4-5 hours daily. On May 15, around 3,727 MW was affected, causing more than five hours of disruption, while on May 22, 2,638 MW shortages still resulted in close to four hours of power interruption.The disruptions were attributed to a combination of outages in power plants and reduction in available capacity.