India to Improve Power Demand Forecasting for Improved Planning

06 Nov 2024

India is improving its power demand forecasting methods to ensure that generation capacity aligns with requirements while maintaining grid stability and increasing clean energy.

Ghanshyam Prasad, the chairperson of the planning body, stated that the government's Central Electricity Authority (CEA) is seeking to collaborate with weather agencies to obtain improved environmental data and to develop more frequent forecasts for unforeseen events.

He mentioned in a conversation, "We have been conducting a detailed demand assessment every five years, but we now plan to do it every two years, with the goal of making it an annual exercise in the future."

Shifting electricity consumption patterns, the rising adoption of intermittent solar and wind energy, and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events have made demand forecasting more complex, necessitating systemic improvements. Accurately estimating future demand has become imperative to prevent supply-demand imbalances, control costs for utilities, and prevent blackouts.

National-level demand assessments are based on data provided by state distribution utilities, as more than 80% of the country's electricity is traded through them.