Chandigarh; Punjab continues to grapple with intense grid pressure as peak electricity demand stays well above the 17,000 MW mark, compounded by technical disruptions that have rendered two generation units at the state-owned Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant in Ropar non-functional. The outage at Ropar comes on the heels of recent breakdowns at private thermal plants in Talwandi Sabo and Rajpura, forcing the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to step up external power purchases from the central pool to balance grid stability. Ground reports indicate that while the two offline units at Ropar have taken critical capacity off the board, the remaining two operational units at the station are running below their full rated thresholds, generating only fractional output.
Despite the operational strain, Punjab Power Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond maintained that no shortage-related load shedding was imposed across the state between September 12 and 14. Addressing concerns over generation deficits, the minister stated that the grid successfully absorbed the disruption without creating supply deficits for consumers, with one of the affected Ropar units scheduled to resume operations within 24 hours and the second expected to rejoin the grid within a few days. Sond asserted that the administration managed record-breaking power flows without enforcing official cuts, ensuring round-the-clock supply across domestic, industrial, and agricultural sectors.
Official consumption statistics highlight an extraordinary seasonal surge, with maximum demand met climbing from 12,025 MW in April to an unprecedented high of 17,423 MW by mid-September, outpacing historical averages by wide margins. During the period from April to September 13, cumulative power consumption across Punjab reached 46,696 million units (MUs), reflecting a 14 percent year-over-year increase from the 41,072 MUs consumed during the same period last year. The surge was particularly acute in early September, where consumption climbed to 4,237 MUs—a 71 percent jump compared to the 2,478 MUs recorded during the corresponding period in 2025—creating a severe test for the state’s transmission and procurement infrastructure.
