CHANDIGARH/LUDHIANA, September 14
Punjab has successfully met its highest-ever electricity demand of 17,423 MW without imposing power cuts due to shortage, while maintaining round-the-clock electricity supply across the residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural sectors.
Power Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond said the achievement reflected the state’s preparedness and power generation capacity amid an unprecedented surge in electricity demand this year.
Addressing a press conference at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office in Ludhiana on Monday, Sond said no shortage-related power cuts had been imposed in Punjab since 7 a.m. on September 13.
“Continuous 24×7 power supply has been ensured for all four major sectors—residential, commercial, industrial and agriculture,” he said.
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Farmers Remain Government’s Top Priority
Highlighting the ongoing paddy season, the minister said farmers remained the government’s foremost priority.
“Punjab is an agrarian state, and our farmers have always been and will continue to remain our top priority. Two private thermal power plants recently developed technical snags during the paddy season. The entire in-house team of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) worked round the clock to restore their operations,” Sond said.
He added that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann had directed the government to compensate farmers for the earlier disruption.
“To make up for the two to three hours of power cuts, the Punjab Government has started providing an additional two hours of electricity supply to farmers from September 13,” he said.
Demand Rises Sharply
Sond said the scale of the achievement could be gauged from the unprecedented increase in electricity demand.
“In previous years, electricity demand during September was around 13,100 MW. This year, it has reached 16,600 MW, representing an additional demand of nearly 3,500 MW. Despite this increase, PSPCL successfully managed the situation,” he said.
The minister praised PSPCL officials and employees for restoring power supply and addressing public complaints.
“Over the past two to three days, I personally received calls from industrialists and farmer unions. I appreciate the entire PSPCL team for working day and night to resolve the crisis,” he said.
Minister Blames Coal Supply Cuts and Withheld Power Share
Referring to the recent power crisis, Sond reiterated that the situation had partly arisen due to coal supply cuts by the Central Government and the alleged non-release of Punjab’s rightful 1,000 MW share of power.
He said officials of the Power Department worked continuously to rectify technical problems in thermal plants and bring them back into operation.
The minister also announced that a unit of a private power plant from which Punjab purchases electricity had resumed operations.
“Another 100 MW of power supply has now started coming from the private plant. This is welcome news for the state,” he said.
Critical Crisis Period Has Passed
Congratulating industrialists and farmers, Sond said Punjab had successfully overcome the most critical phase of the power crisis.
He also highlighted the Punjab Government’s decision to purchase the Guru Amardas Thermal Plant, describing it as a crucial step in strengthening the state’s power infrastructure.
“Punjab has 10 state thermal units. Of these, the Guru Amardas Thermal Plant was purchased by the Punjab Government under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. Had the government not acquired this plant, the power situation today could have been extremely critical,” he said.
According to the minister, all 10 thermal units are currently operating at full capacity.
He further said that around 90 per cent of consumers in Punjab were benefiting from zero electricity bills under the state government’s power relief scheme.
MLA Chaudhary Madan Lal Bagga and MLA Rajinderpal Kaur Chhina were also present at the press conference.
Punjab Power Consumption Rises 14 Per Cent
Official month-wise data shows that Punjab’s maximum demand met increased from 12,025 MW in April 2026 to 17,277 MW in July 2026. By September 13, the state’s maximum demand had reached 16,598 MW, compared with 13,127 MW during the corresponding period last year—an increase of 26 per cent.
The latest peak of 17,423 MW has now surpassed the earlier April–September peak of 17,277 MW by 146 MW.
Overall power consumption has also recorded a significant increase. Between April and September 13, Punjab consumed 46,696 million units (MUs) of electricity, compared with 41,072 MUs during the corresponding period last year, marking a rise of 14 per cent.
July consumption increased by 15 per cent, from 9,362 MUs to 10,765 MUs, while August consumption rose by 25 per cent, from 8,265 MUs to 10,340 MUs.
During the first 13 days of September, power consumption stood at 4,237 MUs, compared with 2,478 MUs during the corresponding period last year—an increase of 71 per cent.
