Chandigarh, July 6 -- Prevailing humidity amid monsoon and increased agricultural activity due to paddy transplantation drove Punjab's power demand higher on Saturday, soaring to an all-time high of 17,233 MW.

The power consumption has spiked consecutively for two days - reaching 16, 983 MW on Friday.

To meet this unprecedented demand, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) drew over 10,600 MW from the northern grid, while its own power generation stood at 6,560 MW. All state thermal units operated at full capacity, with the three government-run plants contributing 1,968 MW. Meanwhile, the privately operated Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo thermal plants generated around 3,100 MW combined.

Hydropower also played a role, generatin...