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Power ministry in its latest data has stated that power consumption in the country grew 8.2 percent to 110.47 billion units (BU) in May 2021, indicating slow recovery in commercial and industrial demand of electricity. The slower pace of recovery in industrial demand of electricity in May can be attributed to local lockdown restrictions imposed by states to curb the spread of coronavirus amid the second wave of the pandemic.

The commercial and industrial power consumption as well as demand would rise in coming days with many states easing local lockdown restrictions imposed to curb the second wave of coronavirus after the number of daily new positive cases of COVID-19 has started declining. The power consumption in the entire month of May last year was 102.08 BU due to the impact of the lockdown imposed to curb the COVID-19 and had witnessed a year-on-year fall of nearly 15 per cent in May 2020.

Power consumption was 120.02 BU in May, 2019. Therefore, power consumption in May this year has not recovered as fast as it should have been, in view of lower base in 2020. Power consumption in April, 2021, saw year-on-year growth of nearly 40 per cent to 118.08 BU.