On September 25, the Union Ministry of Power directed all of India’s 112 captive coal-based generating stations with installed capacity of 50 MW and above to operate at their maximum capacity from October 1 to December 31. The move reflects concerns about meeting electricity requirement in the post-monsoon months, when the demand is typically low.
India’s electricity demand is showing a shift in its seasonal pattern, with September emerging as a month of near-summer peak demand. According to real-time data from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), National Power Portal (NPP) and the Grid Controller of India, power consumption in September 2026 was 11.3 per cent higher than that in Sep-tember 2025, reaching 162 billion units (BU). Peak power demand touched 269 GW on September 10, just 1 GW below the year’s 270 GW peak recorded in May.
National peak power demand rose 18 per cent to 270 GW in July-September 2026, from 230 GW a year earlier, as per the latest quarterly assessment by Finland-based non-profit Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) on October 12, 2026. This marks a sharper rise than seen in recent years. Peak demand rose 20 per cent to 240 GW in the corresponding period of 2023, before easing to 231 GW in 2024 and to 230 GW in 2025. At the state level, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra recorded the highest peak demand at 27 GW each, followed by Gujarat at 23 GW, Tamil Nadu at 20 GW and Karnataka at 16 GW.
India’s power demand peaks from April to July, when rising temperatures drive the use of cooling appliances like air conditioners. The demand in September points to the growing influence of factors beyond daytime temperature, including humidity that can prolong cooling needs and deficient rainfall that can increase irrigation demand while reducing hy-dropower generation.
September weather did not resemble the extreme heat that drove India’s summer electricity peaks. Temperatures in most states remained below the levels seen during April to June. According to the India Meteorological Department’s September 2026 climate summary, maximum temperatures remained below 38-39°C across much of the country. Temper-ature alone does not govern whether we turn on the air conditioner or not. Experts say that even at 34-35°C, high humidity can …
This article was first published in the November 1-15, 2026 print edition of Down To Earth.