States to play key role as India's peak electricity demand to reach 446 GW by 2034–35: Manohar Lal

Patna, June 24 (IANS) India’s peak electricity demand is projected to reach 446 GW by 2034–35 and meeting this sustainably requires proactive planning and continued coordination between the Centre, states and other stakeholders, Power Minister Manohar Lal said on Tuesday.

States should promote renewable energy coupled with energy storage systems in order to ensure the reliability of the supply of power, he said during the Regional Conference for the Eastern Region States/UTs in the Bihar capital.

India successfully met a peak power demand of 250 GW in May 2024 and 242 GW thus far in 2025.

"The peak demand is projected to rise further, reaching approximately 270 GW later this year. This reflects India’s transformation from a power-deficit to a power-sufficient nation," the minister said.

He outlined the importance of continuous cooperation and coordination between the Central and state governments in achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.

Manohar Lal mentioned that India’s power system has evolved into a unified national grid, fulfilling the vision of ‘One Nation-One Grid’, and underlined the importance of a future-ready, modern, and financially viable power sector to fuel the country's growth.

He laid emphasis on ensuring resource adequacy and necessary power generation capacity tie-ups.

"While formulating their resource adequacy plans, states should also ensure a balanced and diversified power generation mix. This should include the addition of nuclear generation capacity, with an aim to establish at least one nuclear power project in each state," the Power Minister said.

He emphasised that the states should work towards resolving the issues faced in the development of intra-state transmission projects, including Right of Way (RoW) issues.

States should explore diverse options for financing, including listing of transmission utilities and funding from multilateral institutions.

The minister informed that in the Union Budget 2025-26, allocation of Rs 1.5 lakh crore in 50-year interest-free loans to support states’ capital expenditures has been done, which can aid in strengthening the transmission infrastructure.

He mentioned India is moving towards having an increased share of renewable energy, and the same has increased from 32 per cent in 2014 to 49 per cent in April 2025, highlighting the national ambition to achieve 100 GW of nuclear energy by 2047.

The Union Minister also underscored the importance of cybersecurity in the power sector and spoke about 'Islanding Schemes' as effective measures to prevent power outages owing to cyber incidents and enable the resilience of the grid.

--IANS

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