Meghalaya's industrial sector leads Northeast in power consumption

Guwahati: In 2022-23, Meghalaya’s industrial sector accounted for 57% of the state's total electricity consumption, far exceeding the national average of 41%, according to the All India Electricity Statistics – General Review 2024.

This places Meghalaya at the forefront in the Northeast, alongside Goa, which also reported a 57% industrial electricity share.

On a national scale, Meghalaya ranks fifth, following Odisha (85%), Jharkhand (70%), Gujarat (67%), and Chhattisgarh (64%).

In comparison, Assam’s industrial sector consumed only 28% of its total electricity sales during the same period.

Over the years, Meghalaya’s industrial electricity consumption has experienced significant fluctuations. Data from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) shows that industrial consumption peaked at 524 GWh in March 2017 but decreased to 376.61 GWh by March 2023, up from 280.28 GWh in March 2022.

The number of industrial electricity consumers in Meghalaya has also fluctuated. In 2009, there were 941 industrial consumers, but this number had dropped to 617 by 2022.

Nationally, India’s electricity generation grew by 5.8% in 2024, reaching 1,824.13 billion kWh. Despite this increase, coal’s share in power generation decreased to 74.4%, while renewable energy sources saw a rise to a record 12.1%.