Explained: Why Mumbaikars are enduring more power cuts this summer

The most important factor according to experts is that demand for electricity has peaked with increasing use of AC and other cooling appliances, amid the scorching heat. Whereas the existing distribution network is not equipped to manage this load.

Power sector expert Ashok Pendse said Mumbai’s peak electricity demand has risen sharply over the years, putting increasing pressure on the city’s distribution. Network. “Mumbai’s peak demand was around 3300 MW earlier, but it has now increased to nearly 4500 MW. However the distribution infrastructure has not been upgraded at the same pace to cater to this surge in demand, resulting in frequent overloading of the system,” he said.

While these power cuts are frequently seen in parts of South Mumbai where BEST supplies electricity, an official from the supply company noted that there is no issue with the supply of electricity, an official from the BEST said, “Mumbai’s demand for electricity has increased manifold. And the existing cable network is unable to bear the additional load, not only because parts of it are still old, it has also suffered damages at various places due to continuous construction works requiring underground digging. It has resulted in power cuts as the damaged network is facing issues in meeting requirements of increased demand in this extended summer.”

But can increase in AC usage alone be responsible for overloading the electricity distribution network and causing power outages?

For this summer, increased air-conditioner use may have intensified the strain, but experts attribute the crisis to a combination of factors, including rapid redevelopment in residential areas without corresponding upgrades to the distribution network, changing consumption patterns, and inadequate maintenance and repair work.

Experts have pointed out that Mumbai city is developing at an alarming rate but there is no check on what is the increased requirement of electricity in this growing city where consumption patterns are changing rapidly.

Heavy requirement of electricity according to experts was initially restricted to business or industrial areas and during office hours. But now even residential pockets have heavy demand. Widespread adoption of air-conditioners, coupled with large-scale redevelopments in residential areas, has substantially increased the load of the distribution network. “Areas that once had five to seven storey building are no dotted with high-rise towers housing many more residents and consuming significantly more electricity, thereby multiplying the demand on existing infrastructure,” said Pendse further noting his observation that a single household’s electricity requirement has multiplied from using 4-5 fans requiring 45-55W electricity to having multiple ACs, each requiring 1000W electricity on an average.

In addition to the absence of upgradation of the distribution network with changing times, the unprecedented extension in summer this year has led to record-consumption of electricity – particularly to run cooling devices, especially ACs. This as per officials has left no breather for the distribution network to rest and recuperate. “The consumption rate does not fall any time during the day, except a slight respite during the wee hours of morning,” said an official.

Could Mumbai see more such power outages?

Experts have warned that the power outages witnessed by the city currently are only symptoms of a larger issue of power supply hindrances. If the distribution network is not upgraded to match changing requirements, such power outages could eb regular phenomenon.

Experts also pointed to a lack of coordination among the various agencies overseeing Mumbai’s rapid urban expansion, arguing that such coordination is crucial for anticipating future infrastructure needs.

While the city has undergone significant redevelopment, experts said planning for its growing electricity requirements has not kept pace. “Mumbai has changed dramatically, but there has not been enough assessment of what the power needs of this new city will be. It is necessary to conduct a comprehensive survey of residential pockets to determine the current load and assess how the distribution network can be strengthened to meet future demand,” said Pendse.

Energy sector expert Jayant Deo, founder of Indian Energy Exchange Ltd., stressed that forecasting demand and upgrading infrastructure are fundamental responsibilities of distribution companies. “Utilities are expected to anticipate future requirements and undertake timely upgrades of the supply network to cater to rising demand. This, however, requires strong coordination among the various regulatory and planning authorities involved in the city’s growth and redevelopment,” he said.

What are the utilities doing to address this problem?

There are three power distributors in Mumbai – BEST, Adani Electricity and Tata Power. And all of them have reported a surge in electricity usage recently. The BEST electricity demand set a new record when it crossed the 1000MW mark, earlier this week on Tuesday. While Adani electricity has reported 53 percent higher electricity consumption, compared to the corresponding period last year; similarly Tata Power too has reported increase in consumption. All utilities working for infrastructure augmentation to cater to changed and increased consumption patterns so that large scale power outages can be prevented. A BEST official said that the focus will be on new cable network efforts that will be targeted at increasing the strength of the existing cable network with additional cables and transformers, to help manage increased load with added demand. “But this is expected to take up to six months to a year,” said the BEST official.