According to a Central Electricity Authority’s (CEA) provisional report, India recorded a power supply deficit of 0.6 percent in the nine-month period between April and December 2018. During this period, 965,589 million units (MUs) of energy were supplied against the demand of 971,490 MUs. This implies a deficit of 5,901 MUs over the targeted energy requirement.

In the same period, against a peak demand of 177,022 MUs of electricity, 175,528 MUs were supplied. This was 1,494 MUs less than the required supply to meet the peak demand, resulting in a peak power supply deficit of 0.8 percent.

Even though the energy generation increased, the supply deficit dropped by 0.1 percent and the peak power deficit has increased by 0.6 percent when compared to the same period in 2017.

The northeastern region was again the region recording the highest supply deficit of 3.1 percent from April to December 2018, followed by the northern region at 1.3 percent, eastern region at 0.8 percent, southern region at 0.2 percent, and western region at 0.1 percent.

During the same period, the peak power deficit was slightly more in the northeastern and northern region, recording 3.9 percent and 2.3 percent respectively. On the other hand, the eastern, western, and southern regions of India accounted for a peak power deficit of 1.8, 1.5, and 0.6 percent respectively.

According to the CEA, India’s power generation grew by 4.74 percent in the nine-month period of 2018. Power generation in the northeastern region grew by 9.31 percent, in the western region by 7.13 percent, in the southern region by 6.64 percent, in the eastern region by 4.75 percent, and in the northern region by 0.11 percent.

Mercom previously reported that India recorded a low power supply deficit of 0.6 percent during the period April to September 2018.

In the latest Load Generation Balance Report (LGBR), which studies the anticipated power supply position for FY 2018-19, the CEA forecasts that India is likely to have a peak surplus of 2.5 percent and an energy surplus of 4.6 percent.

The data sometimes is contradicting with the reality on the ground as power cuts continue to occur in many parts of the country.