Agriculture pumpset power load increases by 25-50%, other categories by 18% amidst rain deficit in Karnataka

Thanks to the monsoon failure from June to September, farmers were forced to use pumpsets for long durations to protect crops, says Gaurav Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary, Energy Department

With 39 lakh agricultural pumpsets across the State and deficient rainfall, electricity consumption by irrigation pumpsets (IP) rose by 25% to 50% in September and October 2026 as opposed to the corresponding period last year, when Karnataka received good rainfall.

According to sources in the Energy Department, Karnataka’s average daily electricity consumption rose to 349-362 Million Units (MU) in the first two weeks of October 2026, surpassing the record of 340 MU recorded in September.

Speaking to The Hindu, Gaurav Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary, Energy Department, said, “The electricity loads and demand have increased across various categories including domestic, commercial, industries and agriculture. All thanks to the monsoon failure from June to September, farmers were forced to use pumpsets for long duration on all the days to protect their crops. Another reason was the increase in cooling loads within households. Cooling load means the rate at which heat energy must be removed from a space to keep the indoor air at a steady temperature and humidity level.”

Higher temperatures also led to people using fans and air conditioners for a long duration. As a result, sources pointed out that the electricity load in domestic, commercial and industrial categories has gone up by 18%. In September 2026, the power demand increased by almost one-third as against the demand in September 2025.

Mr. Gupta also highlighted that the wind energy has drastically reduced from the average 2,500-3,000 MW during monsoon to 400-600 MW. This situation led to a few power cuts across the State last month.

However, Mr. Gupta noted that rains in the past few days in October have eased the demand of electricity in Karnataka. He said, “Due to rains, farmers may not run the pumpsets for cultivation purposes. The use of fans and air conditioners may also see a steep fall. Overall, the demand decreased because of rains since October 11, continuous Dasara holidays when most factories, offices closed down.”

Accordingly, the data from the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) also showed a decrease in the demand of electricity. On October 20, the average demand recorded was 277.92 MU and on October 21, it was 284.98 MU.