A sudden 40 percent surge in power demand surpassing the usual 10-20 percent threshold, has led to electricity supply under pressure in Madhya Pradesh, especially across rural belts, despite holding more than 25,000 MW of contracted generation capacity. However, Energy department sources stated that the situation is set to improve as energy authorities procure additional power and bring two synchronized thermal units back online, ET Energy World reported.
“There is adequate availability of energy in the state. Last year on October 11, peak demand was 11,000MW; this year it increased to 16,000MW on the same date. In some areas, demand spiked while in others it dipped. There could be management-related issues. I have instructed officials to ensure no one faces inconvenience and complaints are addressed on priority,” energy minister Pradyumn Singh Tomar told TOI.
Nearly 5,000-6,000 MW of the state’s contracted capacity is generated through solar power, available mainly between 9 am and 4 pm. On Monday, Two thermal units were shut down due to technical issues. To address the issue, the department arranged 8,000-9,000 MW from the Sardar Sarover project on Tuesday, while the two units were synchronised, raising hopes of improved supply.Despite these recovery efforts, official data revealed rural MP received only 21.49 hours of daily power on Oct 7 against the 24-hour target, prompting local representatives to voice concerns at Monday's cabinet meeting.
