On Saturday, India's peak power demand soared to a record 256 GW, a 4 GW increase from Friday's 252 GW. This surge is attributed to extreme heatwave conditions, with maximum temperatures ranging between 40-45°C across most regions. The Ministry of Power projects that demand may rise to 263 GW in April and 271 GW for the year. In contrast, demand was lower at 243 GW during the summer of 2025 due to favorable weather and an early monsoon. The government is taking steps to address the rising demand, particularly during evening hours when solar energy generation decreases. This includes deferring maintenance of 10 GW coal-based power units and relying on flexible power sources like wind, hydro, and battery storage. Solar energy generation has become increasingly significant, contributing 657 million units on Saturday, and is expected to surpass thermal energy in installed capacity within two years, according to Subrahmanyam Pulipaka, CEO of the National Solar Energy Federation of India.