Urban India's record-breaking power demand is expanding heat traps, and it could get worse

Mumbai: India’s record peak electricity demand of 270 gigawatts (GW) during the ongoing heatwave has highlighted a major shift in the country’s energy consumption pattern, with residential cooling demand now overtaking industrial growth and rapidly urbanising cities are emerging as giant heat traps.

Experts say rising temperatures alone do not explain the unprecedented surge in electricity demand. Rapid urbanisation, changing land use patterns and the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect are significantly intensifying heat stress in cities and extending cooling demand well into the night.

According to the analysis by Climate Trends, non-industrial states such as Uttar Pradesh are now recording higher electricity demand than several manufacturing-heavy states, indicating that household cooling requirements have become the principal driver of India’s record-breaking power consumption. Uttar Pradesh alone surpassed industrial states such as Maharashtra and Gujarat in electricity demand after May 21, when India touched the 270-GW mark.

The report noted that India’s cities are witnessing longer, earlier and more intense heatwaves due to climate change, while urbanisation is worsening the impact by replacing natural landscapes with built-up areas that trap heat. The UHI effect in Indian cities ranges from 2°C to 10°C, with northwestern India witnessing the sharpest temperature differences.

Residential demand for air-conditioners, coolers and fans has surged sharply, especially during evenings and nights when urban areas remain significantly warmer than surrounding regions. Air-conditioner penetration is projected to reach nearly 40 per cent of Indian households by 2030, further increasing electricity demand and contributing additional waste heat that worsens urban temperatures.

The report observed that solar energy contributed around 80 GW, or nearly 22 per cent, of India’s electricity supply when demand touched 270 GW last week. However, grid managers face mounting pressure after sunset, when solar generation disappears and conventional power sources must rapidly scale up to meet sustained cooling demand.

Experts warned that rising night temperatures are emerging as a major public health concern. Buildings no longer cool adequately overnight, forcing air-conditioners and cooling systems to run for longer durations and flattening the usual fall in evening electricity demand.

Data cited in the report showed that the number of compound hot-and-humid days in India increased sharply from 14,086 during 2015-2019 to 16,970 during 2020-2024. Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Gujarat and Odisha were among the states recording the highest number of such days.

Humidity is also intensifying heat stress, particularly in coastal and monsoon-influenced cities, where “feels-like” temperatures remain high even when actual temperatures are relatively moderate. This has further increased dependence on mechanical cooling systems.

Urban heat is also increasing stress on local power infrastructure, including transformers, feeders and distribution networks, while worsening energy inequity as poorer households without efficient cooling systems face greater exposure to heat.

The report recommended a series of mitigation measures, including cool roofs with high-reflectivity materials, reflective pavements, green roofs, rooftop solar installations, blue-green infrastructure such as wetlands and urban parks, grid-level and localised energy storage, smart meters and energy-efficient appliances.

Experts said decentralised renewable energy solutions, particularly rooftop solar systems for households, along with smart-grid technologies and storage systems, would be critical to stabilising electricity supply and managing India’s rapidly growing cooling demand in the coming years.