India power demand jumps 10.7% July 1-16 amid high humidity
India
India just saw a 10.7% spike in electricity use from July 1-16, mostly because the monsoon arrived late and humidity stayed high.
For four days straight, power demand hit record highs, peaking at 270.2 gigawatts on July 16, just a hair below the all-time record set in May.
India spot price rises to ₹7
Nighttime power needs also shot up, hovering around 250 gigawatts.
Coal plants had about 13 days of supply left by July 18, not as much as last month, but still better than past shortages.
Even though coal production dipped by nearly 6%, deliveries to power plants actually rose slightly.
Meanwhile, spot electricity prices jumped to ₹7 per unit on July 16 (up from ₹5.20 in June), thanks to the extra-long summer heat and tight supply.