Kerala’s power use hits fresh record amid severe heatwave
text_fields
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala’s electricity consumption has crossed the previous all time high, as blistering heat drives unprecedented use of air conditioners and other cooling appliances. Yesterday’s total power consumption reached 116.11 lakh (116.11 million) units, surpassing the earlier record of 115.94 lakh units recorded on 3 May 2024.
Evening peak power demand also touched a new high of 6,013 megawatts, beating the previous record of 6,012 megawatts set on the day before Vishu. The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) says its infrastructure can absorb up to about 6,300 megawatts; beyond that, supply could come under strain.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) continues to issue heat alert warnings for 12 districts, excluding Idukki and Wayanad. In these heat alert zones, temperatures are expected to be 2–3 degrees above normal. Officials note that people are increasingly switching to air conditioning and induction stoves—partly due to LPG shortages—pushing demand “beyond forecasts.”
Unofficial load shedding has already been reported in some northern districts, with outages of up to 20 minutes in certain areas. The KSEB chairman has, however, maintained that the situation is under control. A high level board meeting stressed that future decisions on load management will depend on how electricity usage evolves in the coming days, as there are no immediate signs of a fall in temperatures.