📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Nisma Farooq
Weather
Weak Monsoon Drives Punjab’s Power Demand Past 16,000 MW as Four Thermal Units Shut
✍️ Amar Ujala · Punjab
🗓 28 Aug 2026, 10:17 AM
👁 4
Punjab’s electricity demand has surged beyond 16,000 megawatts amid a weak monsoon, while four thermal power units remain offline, curbing supply.
The delayed monsoon this year has left much of Punjab sweltering under humid heat, prompting a sharp rise in electricity consumption. Residents and commercial users are relying heavily on cooling appliances, pushing the state's power grid to its limits.
State officials report that total demand has now crossed the 16,000‑megawatt mark, a level not seen in recent seasons. The surge comes at a time when four major thermal generating units are offline for maintenance, reducing the available generation capacity and creating a supply‑demand mismatch.
The Punjab Power Corporation has issued advisories urging consumers to limit non‑essential usage and is coordinating with neighboring states to import power if needed. Officials also indicated that additional water releases from the Bhakra Dam are being considered to boost hydroelectric output.
Energy analysts caution that if the monsoon remains weak and temperatures stay high, the state could face rolling blackouts in the coming weeks, unless further generation units are brought online or demand‑side management measures are strictly enforced.
State officials report that total demand has now crossed the 16,000‑megawatt mark, a level not seen in recent seasons. The surge comes at a time when four major thermal generating units are offline for maintenance, reducing the available generation capacity and creating a supply‑demand mismatch.
The Punjab Power Corporation has issued advisories urging consumers to limit non‑essential usage and is coordinating with neighboring states to import power if needed. Officials also indicated that additional water releases from the Bhakra Dam are being considered to boost hydroelectric output.
Energy analysts caution that if the monsoon remains weak and temperatures stay high, the state could face rolling blackouts in the coming weeks, unless further generation units are brought online or demand‑side management measures are strictly enforced.