Delhi Power Minister Ashish Sood on Sunday, 19 July inaugurated two landmark initiatives in East Delhi aimed at overhauling the capital's power infrastructure and accelerating clean energy adoption. The launches — a Smart Pad Mounted Substation at Gandhi Nagar and the 'Solarise East' campaign — mark the latest steps in what the Delhi government describes as a long-term modernisation drive for the city's electricity sector.

What Was Launched

The Smart Pad Mounted Substation at Gandhi Nagar is a state-of-the-art facility designed to improve distribution reliability and reduce outage risk in East Delhi. Alongside it, the 'Solarise East' campaign was rolled out to connect more residents with rooftop solar systems under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, the Centre's flagship scheme for subsidised residential solar installations.

The event was attended by Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Corporate Affairs Harsh Malhotra, Members of the Legislative Assembly, Councillors, representatives of Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), Housing Society members, senior officials of BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL), and a large number of citizens.

The Investment Behind the Push

Speaking at the event, Minister Sood stated that the Delhi government has committed ₹1,427 crore in power sector capital expenditure within a single year. He said the outlay is being channelled into strengthening the transmission and distribution network, establishing new substations, modernising ageing infrastructure, and scaling up smart technologies across the grid.

Sood emphasised that the objective extends beyond meeting current demand. 'Our objective is not merely to provide electricity but to deliver reliable power, affordable power, smart power and now green power,' he said.

Record Peak Demand — and No Major Outage

Sood highlighted that Delhi recorded its highest-ever peak power demand of 8,748 MW this year — a figure that underscores the capital's rapidly growing energy appetite. Notably, despite this historic load, the city did not experience any major power outage, which officials attributed to improved planning, discom capability, and infrastructure investments made in preceding months.

This comes amid a broader national trend of surging urban electricity demand, driven by extreme heat events, expanding air conditioning use, and increasing digital infrastructure loads.

The Bigger Picture for Delhi's Power Sector

The dual launch reflects a dual mandate the Delhi government has set for itself: grid reliability on one hand and green transition on the other. The 'Solarise East' campaign, by plugging into the PM Surya Ghar scheme, leverages Central subsidies to bring rooftop solar within reach of more households — a model that, if scaled, could meaningfully reduce peak grid stress during summer months.

A reliable electricity system, Sood observed, underpins every dimension of urban life — from industries and healthcare to education and digital services. With Delhi's energy demand projected to keep rising, the coming months will test whether the ₹1,427 crore investment translates into measurable improvements in supply quality across all parts of the capital.