India Meets Record 241 GW Power Demand Without Shortage: Union Minister Khattar

India successfully met its record peak electricity demand of 241 GW on 9 June without any shortage, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Tuesday.

He declared that this achievement marks India’s transition from power-deficient to power-sufficient, with the nation now on track to become India power surplus.

At a press conference, the minister announced that India added 34 GW of power generation capacity in 2024–25.

This is the highest annual increase so far. Of this, 29.5 GW came from renewable sources.

The country’s total installed power capacity now stands at 472.5 GW, up from 249 GW in 2014.

Manohar Lal said India has drastically cut its national energy shortage to just 0.1 per cent in April 2025.

In 2013–14, the shortage was 4.2 per cent. This has ensured reliable power for homes, businesses and industries across the country.

Push for energy storage and grid strengthening

To boost renewable integration, the Ministry of Power has approved a Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme for 30 GWh of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). This is in addition to the 13.2 GWh already under development.

The Rs 5,400 crore scheme aims to attract Rs 33,000 crore in investment and meet India’s BESS needs by 2028.

The government has also extended the waiver of Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) charges until 30 June 2028. This will benefit pumped storage projects and BESS commissioned before this date.

The minister said this move will optimise transmission line use and meet growing storage demand.

India will soon roll out an Ultra High Voltage Alternating Current (UHV AC) transmission system. Nine 1100 kV lines and ten substations are planned, with a total investment of Rs 53,000 crore by 2034.

Testing facilities are being set up by the Central Power Research Institute.

Reforms in transmission and land compensation

The Centre has raised land compensation for laying power lines to resolve Right of Way (RoW) issues. Compensation for tower areas has risen from 85 per cent to 200 per cent of land value.

For the RoW corridor, it has increased from 15 per cent to 30 per cent. Haryana and Delhi have adopted these guidelines, issued on 21 March 2025.

The government has expanded the Late Payment Surcharge (LPS) Rules to include intra-state transmission systems.

Previously, the rules applied only to inter-state lines. This move will encourage private investment and improve financial discipline while helping states absorb renewable electricity.

Manohar Lal also said that the 250 MW first unit of the Tehri Pumped Storage Project (PSP) in Uttarakhand has been commissioned. This will add flexibility to the grid and help manage peak demand and integrate clean energy.

The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring round-the-clock electricity access and achieving 100 per cent household electrification under the India power surplus roadmap.

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