According to reports from state load despatch centres (SLDCs) in the northern region, a sudden and severe thunderstorm on Friday night led to a decrease in electricity load of nearly 11 GW. The storm accompanied by gusty winds, thunderstorms, and lightning, affected various northern states.

It was reported that Delhi-NCR experienced a dust storm in certain areas between 22:50 and 23:00 IST on Friday, May 10, 2024. In the electricity grid map, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttarakhand fall under the Northern Region Load Despatch Centre (NRLDC). As of May 10, the total demand of the northern region was 63 GW.

As per the load crash report prepared by the SLDCs and the NRLDC, there was a reduction in electricity load by more than half within 30 to 55 minutes. Uttar Pradesh saw the highest decrease of 4 GW, followed by Punjab with 3.8 GW. Delhi and Haryana experienced load reductions of 1.5 GW and 2.5 GW, respectively.

Experts mentioned that the decrease occurred due to two factors?a sudden drop in demand and a precautionary outage to prevent transmission-related incidents. Some experts also emphasized the necessity of planning transmission networks for such unexpected events, particularly in the NCR region, known for its high demand.

Rajiv Goyal, CEO of EKI Power Trading, who has previously designed power distribution networks for Greater Noida, Aurangabad, Nagpur, and Ayodhya, remarked that several areas faced prolonged power outages. He suggested that such electricity loss could be prevented if the Delhi NCR area, which has a demand of almost 13 GW and is densely populated with industries and commercial zones, had a robust distribution network with underground cables and feeder isolation systems. He further suggested that the NCR Planning Board should incorporate power infrastructure into its coordinated network design, suitable for high-load-density areas, and secure funding for its development.