Chennai Power Demand Hits Record 4,809 MW Amid Frequent Power Outages
Amid intense summer heat in Chennai, the city’s peak electricity demand touched a record 4,809 MW at 10 pm on Wednesday, surpassing the previous high of 4,769 MW recorded on May 31, 2024. At the same time, several residents across the city reported recurring night-time power cuts and voltage fluctuations.
Responding to complaints raised on social media, Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister R Nirmalkumar said that most outages were caused by accidental damage to underground power cables during civil and infrastructure works, along with technical faults and existing power infrastructure limitations.
According to the Minister, over 160 incidents involving underground cable damage have been recorded in the past year during excavation and contract works across Chennai. Transformer-related technical issues have also contributed to disruptions in several localities.
The Electricity Department stated that officials have been monitoring the situation continuously and corrective measures are already underway. From Thursday onwards, the department has also strengthened its public response system through call centres and social media platforms to provide quicker updates regarding outages and estimated restoration times.
With temperatures continuing to remain high across Tamil Nadu, electricity consumption in Chennai has increased significantly due to heavy usage of air conditioners, fans, and cooling appliances.
