Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the second biggest power consumer in India after Maharashtra. Uttar Pradesh’s peak demand anticipated for the year 2025-26 is the second highest after the 35,081-mw peak demand that Maharashtra.
According to UP power corporation Limited (UPPCL), the power consumers will have comfortable summer season as state has surplus power of over 4,000 MW against the peak demand. UP, nearly 34,000 MW of demand — is second biggest power consumer in India after Maharashtra.
As per the data of the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) in the financial year 2025-26, with a projected annual surplus of 4,391 megawatt (mw) in peak demand and 25,720 million units (MU) in energy availability.
The anticipated annual peak demand, in UP, according to the CEA, stands at 33,849 mw (in June) while the availability is expected to reach 38,240 mw — a surplus of 13 per cent. In terms of energy, the state is projected to require 1,75,170 MU, while 2,00,890 MU will be available, ensuring a 14.7 per cent surplus.
The summer months, which usually see an increased demand, are also forecasted to remain in surplus. June 2025 will have a peak surplus of 3,081 mw (9.1 per cent) and a nominal energy surplus of 22 MU. July is expected to be even better with a 4,733 mw (14.1 per cent) surplus in peak and 155 MU in energy.
October and December will see the highest monthly surpluses in peak power — 4,756 mw (20.2 per cent) each. January 2026 is set to record the largest energy surplus of the year at 3,826 MU.
Interestingly, the state will face a minor energy deficit of 1.0 per cent (180 MU) in May 2025 despite a peak surplus of 968 mw, highlighting the challenge of managing sustained high consumption.
In the Northern region, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana and Punjab had by and large met the Energy Requirement in full. Himachal Pradesh, J and K and Ladakh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand experienced marginal gap between Energy Requirement and Energy Supplied in the range of 0.2 per cent to 0.4 per cent.
In the northern region, the Energy Requirement and Peak Demand for 2024-25 was higher than the anticipated by 1.6 per cent and 1.1 per cent respectively. “The Peak Demand and Energy Requirement in the States/UTs have been worked out on the basis of the trend analysis considering the data for the preceding years as also the specific load requirements, if any, as per the established methodology. The availability of electricity has been worked out on the basis of generation programme firmed up by CEA after consultations with the generating companies/Utilities and finally approved by Ministry of Power,” the report says.
As per the CEA, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Puducherry, Jharkhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Meghalaya are likely to be surplus, both in terms of peak and energy on annual basis, for the year 2025-26.
“The CEA report signals a positive outlook for industries, agriculture, and domestic consumers, though an efficient distribution and timely infrastructure upgrades remain crucial to translating surplus into uninterrupted supply,” said a senior UPPCL official.
“It is often because of distribution and transmission networks that people face power cuts in summer when the system starts crumbling due to the heightened demand that surpasses the system capacity,” he explained.
UP in last eight years since Yogi Adityanath government took office in March 2017 has significantly strengthened the power transmission and distribution capacity across the state.
As many as 750 distribution substation of 33/11 capacity, costing Rs 60-Rs 100 crore were constructed across the state along with transmission substation for strengthening the power grid.