New Delhi, March 3 -- India's peak power demand surged by 41 per cent during the summer months of 2023, driven by rising temperatures and frequent heatwaves, a new report by Climate Trends has found.

The increased demand led to a 3 percent rise in fossil fuel consumption, with 2,853 million units of electricity generated from fossil sources, adding over 2 million tons of carbon emissions, as per Climate Trends, a research-based consulting and capacity-building initiative focused on environmental and climate issues.

The study released on Monday highlights a direct correlation between extreme heat and power consumption, particularly in urban and affluent regions where cooling appliances are widely used. However, in rural areas, demand rem...