Long-range forecasting of electricity demand and supply for Maharashtra

Long term forecasting of electricity demand is vital for any developing economy to arrive at suitable mix of supply side options. In this paper, Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning system (LEAP) has been used to forecast the electricity demand and corresponding supply mix for the target year 2030 for Maharashtra, a prominent state in India with a base line year 2012. The paper also presents an analysis of demand and supply prior to 2012 for a period of six years. Power plant capacities are projected for various transformation processes for the target year. It is found that the industrial demand of the state is going to be 34.5 percent of total electricity requirement. Coal based power plants will continue to play major role in the forecasted years.