Tamil Nadu’s electricity demand has remained unusually high this September, hovering around 21,000 MW, creating operational pressure for the power utility, according to consumer complaints and officials.
The state earlier saw demand touch 21,211 MW on April 28. With summer heat persisting beyond the usual season, demand hit a new peak of 21,724 MW on July 14, and evening demand has continued to stay elevated.
Consumers in several areas, including Chennai’s suburbs, have reported frequent power interruptions, often without prior notice. Staff at the utility’s consumer service centres said they have been receiving repeated complaints of outages lasting over an hour at night in multiple districts.
A power board official said demand typically drops by 2,500–3,000 MW in September compared to peak summer, but that decline has not happened this year. The official added that financial constraints have also led to reluctance in purchasing costly power from the open market.
As a result, one-hour rotational power cuts are understood to be implemented daily in districts across the state, excluding Chennai, the official said.
