Ahmedabad: Fuelled by industrial and commercial consumption, Gujarat’s electricity requirement has continued to climb, reaching an all-time high of 29,822MW on Friday. The rise has extended beyond the summer months, with Oct demand now exceeding the peak levels recorded in June. Data centres and AI computing are expected to create another significant demand stream after 2029.The state is seeking a higher allocation from the central grid and additional coal supplies to meet the growing requirement. Ashwini Kumar, principal secretary, energy and petrochemicals department, said Gujarat has begun coordinating with Union ministries to address the projected supply gap.“We have requested the power ministry to allocate a higher quota from the central grid, and we have also approached the coal ministry for additional coal,” Kumar said. “Looking at the recent trend, we expect demand to remain elevated in the coming days and during the summer season. We have started advance planning to ensure uninterrupted supply.”Gujarat’s demand rose sharply during the year. In June, peak demand ranged from 26,834MW to 28,833MW before climbing to 29,822MW in Oct. The trend suggests that high demand is no longer confined to the peak summer months.The state recorded power consumption of 586 million units (MU) in June 2026, up from 529MU in June 2025, according to the data provided. The figures represented the earlier record and the latest high, respectively.Officials attributed the strong demand outlook to industrial expansion and a steady increase in household electricity use. Gujarat recorded a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 12% over the past five years and nearly 10% over the past three years. Based on these trends, planners expect peak demand to rise by another 10% next year, potentially taking the state’s maximum requirement beyond 32,500MW in 2027.Industry representatives, meanwhile, have raised concerns over supply disruptions in manufacturing clusters. Industrial belts such as Sanand and Dahej have reported instances of power staggering. “We demand uninterrupted power supply for MSMEs in the estate,” said an office-bearer of the Sanand Industries Association.The state is also preparing for a further surge in demand from data centres and AI-related computing loads later this decade. A senior official said the data centre and AI boom’s impact was expected to become visible after 2029. The segment could add around 1,500MW annually for five years from 2030, the official said.
