India's epic winter cold wave sends power demand to record highs
India
India just saw its winter power demand smash records—hitting 245 GW on January 9, even higher than last summer's peak.
That's about a 1.7% increase over December's 241 GW peak and shows how extreme this cold wave has been.
Why does this matter?
Delhi broke its own winter power record too, with demand peaking at 6,087 MW on January 9.
BSES said it successfully met the peak, pointing to preparations such as long-term tie-ups, renewables, banking, storage and forecasting.
How are cities coping?
Delhi managed to cover over half of its winter electricity needs using green energy like solar and wind—plus some clever AI-powered forecasting helped them plan ahead.
Still, with more people using power and renewables facing delays, coal remains the main source for now.