Assam's power needs to rise 21% by 2029-30, peak demand to cross 3,400 MW

Assam will need about 21 per cent more electricity by 2029-30 than it does this financial year, according to projections from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), The Sentinel reported.

The mid-term review of the 20th Electric Power Survey (EPS), covering 2026-27 to 2029-30, estimates the state's annual energy requirement at 14,978 million units (MU) in 2026-27, rising to 18,162 MU by 2029-30. Peak demand, the highest load the grid must meet at any moment, is projected to climb from 2,915 MW to 3,403 MW over the same period.

Year-by-year projections

| Year | Energy requirement (MU) | Peak demand (MW) |

|---|---|---|

| 2026-27 | 14,978 | 2,915 |

| 2027-28 | 15,972 | 3,068 |

| 2028-29 | 17,056 | 3,235 |

| 2029-30 | 18,162 | 3,403 |

That works out to roughly 1,000 MU of additional demand every year, and nearly 500 MW of extra peak load the grid will have to carry within three years.

How the forecast is made

The Electric Power Survey is carried out every five years under Section 73(a) of the Electricity Act, 2003, and gives state-wise, region-wise and all-India demand forecasts. The CEA uses two methods. The econometric method looks at past consumption alongside factors such as GDP growth, rainfall and temperature. The partial end-use method builds up demand category by category (domestic, commercial, irrigation, industry, public water works, street lighting and railways) and factors in policies such as energy-efficiency drives, electric vehicles, rooftop solar, the National Hydrogen Mission and the PM-KUSUM solar pump scheme. The forecasts are prepared in consultation with the power utilities concerned.

Where the extra power may come from

Power Ministry sources quoted by The Sentinel said six hydroelectric projects with a combined installed capacity of 2,166 MW are under construction in the North East, including Assam, and are scheduled to be commissioned by December 31, 2030. Once running, they are expected to cover a large part of the region's growing demand.

Assam today buys a significant share of its electricity from central generating stations and the market, and rising consumption has at times led to load-shedding during hot summer evenings. The new projections give the state's power utilities a benchmark for planning purchases, transmission upgrades and new generation over the next four years.