What does a 16.6% YoY increase in electricity traded in April mean

Indian Energy Exchange (IEX), the premier electricity exchange, recorded a monthly electricity traded volume of 12,341 MUs (million units) in April 2026, a robust 16.6% increase year-on-year. A total of 1.18 lakh Renewable Energy Certificates were traded during the month, though REC volumes declined 59.4% year-on-year.

India's energy consumption touched 154 BUs in April 2026, up 4% year-on-year. The month witnessed highly dynamic weather conditions, ranging from unseasonal rainfall to peak summer heat, which drove electricity demand to an all-time high of 256 GW.

In the Day-Ahead Market (DAM), strong demand drove buy bids up 31% year-on-year, while sell bids rose sharply by 35% YoY. Due to an increase in power demand, the average market-clearing price stood at Rs. 5.26/unit, a 1% increase year-on-year.

However, unseasonal rainfall during the initial days of April moderated demand and kept DAM prices below Rs. 3.5/unit on several days, presenting DISCOMs and C&I consumers with an opportunity to procure power at highly competitive rates and optimise their procurement costs.

The Real-Time Market (RTM) mirrored this trend, with prices touching near-zero levels across multiple time blocks during the month, driven by surplus renewable energy during solar hours. The average RTM market-clearing price stood at Rs. 4.82/unit, up 5.4% year-on-year.

Notably, RTM recorded its highest-ever single-day trade of 250 MUs on April 30, underscoring its growing role in enabling DISCOMs and C&I consumers to manage procurement flexibly and cost-effectively in real time.