New Delhi [India], May 25 : Delhi's peak power demand surged to 8,439 MW on Monday, the highest ever recorded in May and the highest so far this year, as an early and intense summer pushes consumption well above previous years.
According to the State Load Despatch Centre (SLDC) data, the capital has crossed the 8,000 MW mark four times in just six days, with BSES discoms meeting the load without disruption. SLDC now projects demand may breach 9,000 MW this summer, topping the 2025 all-time high of 8,656 MW.
"Delhi's peak power demand has seen a sharp rise in May 2026 compared to previous years, reflecting the impact of an intense and early summer," according to SLDC data shared in the release. "Delhi's peak power demand has already crossed the 8,000 MW mark four times within six days."
Between May 1 and May 25, demand in 2026 was higher than the corresponding days of 2025 on 20 out of 25 days -- around 80% of the days -- and higher than 2024 on 18 out of 25 days, or 72% of the days.
"Delhi's peak power demand of 8,439 MW is the highest ever peak power demand recorded in the city in May," the release said. "In 2025, Delhi's peak power demand had never crossed 8000 MW in May. In 2024, Delhi's highest peak power demand in May was 8302 MW."
BSES discoms met the record load in their areas. "BSES discoms successfully met the peak power demand of 3,745 MW and 1,820 MW in their respective areas," the note said, referring to BRPL and BYPL.
"Earlier, on April 27, 2026, Delhi's peak power demand had crossed the 7,000 MW mark for the first time in April, touching 7,078 MW at 3:30 PM."
To handle the spike, BSES said it is banking on renewables and tech-led forecasting. "BSES discoms are fully geared up to ensure reliable power supply to more than 53 lakh consumers and nearly 2.25 crore residents across South, West, East and Central Delhi," a BSES official said.
"These arrangements include long-term PPAs, bilateral tie-ups, banking arrangements with other states and deployment of advanced technologies such as AI and ML-based demand forecasting to accurately estimate load and maintain uninterrupted supply."
Green power will be central to the summer plan. "Around 2,670 MW of green power will play a key role in ensuring a reliable electricity supply during the summer months in BSES areas," the official said.
"Solar power is expected to contribute about 840 MW, hydro around 572 MW and wind nearly 500 MW. Pumped Storage Plants will provide around 312 MW, while rooftop solar installations across South, West, East and Central Delhi will contribute nearly 250 MW."
"Since peak demand typically occurs for less than 10% of the time, BSES plans to meet such demand through Day-Ahead and Week-Ahead power markets, ensuring flexibility and efficient procurement while maintaining reliable supply," the official said. "BSES has also started actively utilising the Real Time Market on the power exchanges, which helps in balancing renewable energy supply and maintaining grid stability."