Andhra Pradesh’s Power Demand to Double in a Decade; Experts Warn Grid Must Expand or Risk ‘Stranded Power’
Andhra Pradesh is bracing for a tectonic shift in its energy landscape, with electricity demand projected to more than double over the next decade. According to the Resource Adequacy Plan (2024-25 to 2034-35) released by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the state’s peak power demand is estimated to surge from 14,610 MW in 2024-25 to a staggering 28,850 MW by 2034-35.
Officials and industry experts say this projected growth, averaging nearly 7% annually, is expected to be driven by aggressive industrial expansion, port-led economic activity, increasing irrigation loads, and rapid urbanisation. The report also underscores a massive leap in annual energy requirements, which are set to rise from approximately 81,025 million units (MU) to 1,56,630 MU within the same period.
While the state is planning significant additions in generation capacity, particularly renewable energy, experts warn that transmission could emerge as the critical bottleneck.
Power Industry Expert Saddaf Alam, who involved multiple renewable projects across south India, said, “We are now in a situation where generation is being built faster than the wires to carry it. If evacuation doesn’t keep up, the state will end up with stranded power—plants that produce electricity that simply can’t be delivered.”
The study also highlights that peak demand is increasingly occurring during daytime hours, while non-solar hours remain vulnerable, making grid balancing and peak load management more complex. Strengthening both intrastate and interstate transmission networks will be essential to manage fluctuating loads, reduce congestion and maintain grid stability.
“Transmission is now the backbone of power reliability. Without timely investment in new lines and substations, we risk supply bottlenecks even if generation capacity is available,” further he added. “Delays in transmission projects can directly impact industries, agriculture and urban consumers.”
Energy analysts emphasise that strengthening the state's transmission backbone is not just a technical challenge but a policy imperative. “If Andhra Pradesh wants reliable, round-the-clock power—especially from renewables—the grid has to be the priority now, because building transmission lines requires years of coordinated planning, land approvals, and RoW clearance. Timely expansion of transmission lines will ensure sufficient electricity and holistic growth of the state,” said an independent power systems researcher.
As Andhra Pradesh races toward a high-electricity future, experts warn that the success of its clean-energy ambitions may ultimately depend on a less-visible part of the system: the wires that tie everything together.
