Power demand falls in April-June quarter for the first time since 2020 amid early monsoon onset

India’s power demand in the April-June quarter fell by 1.5 per cent from a year ago, mainly due to reduced use of cooling appliances amid the early onset of the monsoon.

Demand dropped to 445.8 billion kilowatt-hours during the period, according to data from the Central Electricity Authority.

Bloomberg reported that it’s the first contraction since 2020, when the pandemic brought the economy to a halt.

The highest supply in a day (peak power demand met) in June also fell to about 242.49 GW last month, from around 244.52 GW in June 2024.

The peak power demand was about 231 GW. It had touched an all-time high of about 250 GW in May 2024.

Government estimated peak power demand to touch 277 GW

The government had estimated peak power demand to touch 277 GW in the summer of 2025.

Coal-based power plants, which account for nearly three-quarters of the country’s power production, were the worst hit by this year’s muted demand.

During the period, coal power output fell 7 per cent, while production from other sources, such as hydropower and nuclear, increased.

The power plants operated at an average of 69.6 per cent of capacity, compared to 76.6 per cent a year ago.

Renewable power generation rose almost 23 per cent during April-May, according to the data.

The monsoon hit the Kerala coast on 24 May 2025, eight days ahead of schedule, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

The widespread rains across the country reduced consumption of electricity, especially by cooling appliances like desert coolers and air conditioners during June.

According to the weather department, India was expected to experience hotter-than-usual temperatures from April to June, with more heatwave days in Central and Eastern India and the Northwestern plains.

Minimum temperatures were expected to be higher than usual across most of the country, except for a few places in the Northwest and the Northeast, according to the IMD.