Dehradun: Amid intense heat and continuously rising temperatures, electricity demand in Uttarakhand has broken all previous records. In view of the situation, the government has gone into complete alert mode. On Monday, Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan held a high-level review meeting at the Secretariat regarding the state’s power supply system and issued clear instructions to officials to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply to the people of the state under all circumstances.
During the meeting, it was revealed that on May 21, 2026, electricity demand in Uttarakhand reached a record 2982 megawatts, while nationwide demand stood at 270.8 gigawatts. Due to severe heat and heatwave conditions, the increasing use of air conditioners, coolers, and other electrical appliances in homes, markets, and commercial establishments has put tremendous pressure on the power system.
UPCL Managing Director G.S. Budhiyal informed that despite massive electricity demand at the national level, no power rostering has been implemented in Uttarakhand so far. He said the situation is being managed continuously through advance power management, real-time monitoring, and grid coordination.
The government has also secured additional electricity from the Centre. On the request of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Uttarakhand has received an additional allocation of 150 megawatts over and above the existing 250 megawatts supplied from the central pool. Additional electricity is also being purchased through energy exchanges to provide relief to the people of the state.
However, due to rainfall and snowfall in the hilly regions, hydroelectric power generation has declined by nearly 4 million units, although improvement is expected in the coming days.
During the meeting, the general public was also appealed to use electricity judiciously during peak hours from 6 PM to 6 AM and avoid unnecessary power consumption so that a smooth power supply system can be maintained across the state.
