Unscheduled power cuts irk people as demand shoots up

Visakhapatnam/Vijayawada: Even though it is only the first week of April, Andhra Pradesh has already surpassed its peak electricity demand from May 2020. The peak demand in May 2020 was 10,101 MW, whereas AP met a demand of 11,397 MW on Friday, April 5. The average peak demand in May 2023 stood at about 12,000 MW.
As a result, various parts of Andhra Pradesh are experiencing unscheduled power cuts.These outages have become a major concern and point of discussion amid the scorching temperatures, especially since they come ahead of the upcoming elections. Cities like Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, and Vizianagaram are facing intermittent power cuts throughout the day, causing a major inconvenience to residents.
For instance, residents in MVP colony, Visakhapatnam, faced an unannounced power outage between 10 am and 2 pm on Friday. Similarly, the Phool Bagh area in Vizianagaram experienced an electricity cut for almost three hours, starting at 9 pm on Friday. Residents of Vijayawada city were also affected by a power cut lasting over three hours on Friday morning. In Payakapuram and Kandrika areas of Vijayawada, frustrated by late-night power cuts the same night, residents protested at the local substation. The situation is even worse in rural regions, where parts of West Godavari and Krishna districts are facing unscheduled power cuts that extend beyond three hours daily, causing significant distress among the rural populace.
To cope with the scorching heat, residents have increasingly relied on air conditioners and air coolers, placing a significant strain on the power grid. This surge in demand may have triggered the unscheduled power cuts as a way to manage the load.
However, the energy department authorities have stated that the power demand is exceptionally high. They are striving to meet this demand and have resorted to purchasing power from the open market to fulfil the state's requirements. The department is working on measures to manage the situation and ensure a stable power supply.
The electricity demand in Andhra Pradesh for the first time in its history crossed 250 million units (MU) in May 2023, recording a maximum supply of 251 MU. This was further surpassed when the power utilities of Andhra Pradesh met 263 million units of electricity on June 17. Going by the official statistics, the energy demand has been increasing year on year. The peak demand increased by around 27% in 2023 summer compared to the previous year.
For instance, the energy demand in March 2020 was 5853.39 MU, whereas the monthly energy demand in March 2023 was 6781.54 MU, representing a 16% increase. Similarly, the average day demand in May 2020 was 180.69 MU, compared to the 210 MU daily demand in May 2023, resulting in a 16.3% surge.