HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Jan 21: Assam is heading towards a sharp surge in electricity demand over the next decade, with projections indicating that the state’s power requirement will almost triple by 2035-36.
As per the Central Electricity Authority’s Resource Adequacy Plan, Assam’s peak power demand is expected to rise from 2,812 MW in 2024-25 to 7,969 MW by 2035-36, driven by rapid urbanisation, expanding industrial activity and rising consumption across districts.
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While the state plans to scale up its generation capacity to over 17,700 MW by 2035-36, power sector experts caution that generation alone will not be sufficient to ensure long-term energy security.
They point to transmission infrastructure as the most critical gap, warning that without timely and large-scale expansion of the transmission network, Assam could face frequent shortages despite having adequate power capacity on paper.
Industry expert Saddaf Alam, chief consultant associated with Smokeless Power Consulting, said that while power generation can be enhanced or procured from outside the state, transmission development is a far more time-intensive process.
“Building transmission lines requires years of coordinated planning, land acquisition and right-of-way clearances. Timely expansion of transmission infrastructure is essential to ensure reliable electricity supply and support Assam’s overall growth,” he said.
Alam noted that a strong transmission network would also help Assam reduce its dependence on costly power purchases during peak demand.
The savings, he said, could be redirected towards welfare and development initiatives.
He warned that inadequate transmission leads to heavy line loading, higher risks of tripping and voltage instability, and over-reliance on a limited number of corridors, increasing the likelihood of outages.
He cited the May 2025 power outage in Guwahati, which affected around 1.5 lakh consumers, and the July 2024 grid collapse that disrupted supply to nearly two lakh people across five districts, as examples of such vulnerabilities.
Frequent power disruptions, experts said, have a cascading impact on the economy, causing operational losses for industries, affecting supply chains, discouraging investment, delaying infrastructure upgrades and disrupting irrigation.
They also contribute to post-harvest losses of up to 20 per cent and adversely affect essential services such as healthcare and education.
According to sector assessments, uninterrupted power supply alone has the potential to generate over two lakh jobs across sectors and unlock new avenues for industrial growth.
Experts believe transmission infrastructure will play a decisive role in Assam’s future power scenario, as even contracted or surplus power cannot be effectively utilised without adequate evacuation and delivery capacity.
They pointed out that while Assam’s electricity demand is growing rapidly, transmission expansion has been relatively slow, creating a structural bottleneck.
Addressing this gap, they said, must form the core of the state’s energy security strategy.
The coming decade is seen as crucial in determining whether Assam can align its power infrastructure with its economic ambitions.
Accelerating transmission line construction, upgrading substations, reducing right-of-way delays and developing new high-capacity corridors are viewed as essential steps to ensure the state can meet its rising power needs sustainably.
