Power utilities told to gear up for summer demand surge

Special Chief Secretary (Energy) K. Vijayanand directed the A.P. power utilities to be fully prepared to ensure uninterrupted and reliable power supply to all consumers in the State in view of the onset of summer and the expected rise in power demand to around 280 Million Units (MU) per day in May.

During a virtual review meeting with senior officials of the power utilities on Monday, Mr. Vijayanand instructed the DISCOMs to closely monitor demand trends, maximise available generation and make advance arrangements for power procurement to ensure 24x7 quality power supply.

He said the Andhra Pradesh (A.P.) power utilities had so far met an average grid demand of 264.65 MU per day and recorded a growth of 9.15% compared with the corresponding period last year. The State grid also registered its highest ever consumption of 274.60 MU since bifurcation on March 7, 2026.

Mr. Vijayanand observed that the State witnessed a sudden increase in electricity demand during the last ten days of February, which necessitated additional procurement from power exchanges to maintain uninterrupted supply.

He said the peak demand during March and April 2026 was expected to reach 14,500 MW, while the minimum demand was projected to be around 9,000 MW. Minor deficits of about 200 to 400 MW were anticipated during the early morning hours.

He stressed the need for continuous monitoring of generation availability from thermal and renewable sources and efficient procurement of power from exchanges such as the Day Ahead Market and Real Time Market to ensure uninterrupted supply across the State.

A.P. Transco Director (Grid) A. K. V. Bhaskar, DISCOMs CMDs L. Siva Sankar, I. Prudhvi Tej and P. Pulla Reddy, among others, were present.