Electricity volumes on IEX rose 20% to a monthly record in August as higher power consumption drove up trading and pushed day-ahead and real-time prices higher. By Asmi Saxena September 3, 2026, 5:14:52 PM IST (Published)
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Power trading exchange Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) recorded its highest-ever monthly electricity trading volume in August as a sharp increase in power consumption boosted activity across several segments of the exchange. Electricity volumes on IEX rose 20.2% from a year earlier to a record 13.94 billion units (BU), the power exchange said in its monthly market update. The increase came as India’s electricity consumption climbed 12.85% year-on-year to 169.01 BU in August. Higher demand also pushed up electricity prices on the exchange.
Buy bids in the Day-Ahead Market surged 61.7% from a year earlier, while the average market clearing price increased 22% to ₹4.88 per unit. The average price in the Real-Time Market rose 30.4% to ₹4.41 per unit.
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Day-ahead, real-time trading rise
The Day-Ahead Market, including the High Price Day-Ahead Market, traded 5,517 million units in August, up 15% from 4,797 MU a year earlier. Real-Time Market volumes increased 10.6% to 5,565 MU, or about 5.56 BU, from 5,029 MU in August 2025. The biggest percentage increase came from the Day-Ahead Contingency and Term-Ahead Market, including the High Price Term-Ahead Market. Trading volumes more than doubled to 1,765 MU from 835 MU, an increase of 111.3%. The figures point to greater demand for shorter-term power purchases during a month when overall electricity consumption was running well above last year’s levels. Green power grows, REC trading plunges
Trading in IEX’s Green Market also increased. Volumes in the Green Day-Ahead and Green Term-Ahead markets rose 17.3% to 1,091 MU from 930 MU a year earlier.
The weighted average Green Day-Ahead Market price increased 5.1% to ₹3.92 per unit. Renewable Energy Certificates moved sharply in the opposite direction. IEX traded 2.91 lakh RECs during August, an 86.6% decline from a year earlier, which the exchange attributed to lower participation. Trading sessions on August 12 and August 27 cleared at ₹370 and ₹350 per certificate, respectively. The next REC sessions are scheduled for September 9 and September 30. Also read: RVNL emerges lowest bidder for ₹405-crore East Coast Railway project
Market-coupling uncertainty hangs over IEX
The record volumes come as IEX faces a potentially significant change to the way electricity prices are determined across India’s power exchanges.
On August 3, the Supreme Court declined to intervene in IEX’s challenge to the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission’s market-coupling process, allowing CERC to proceed with framing regulations. Market coupling would effectively pool bids from different power exchanges and use a common mechanism to determine prices, rather than allowing each exchange to discover prices independently. IEX had sought a stay on the regulatory process, arguing that market coupling could hurt the commercial position of power exchanges. The Supreme Court said the challenge was premature and that IEX could contest the regulations after they are notified. IEX shares were trading 0.12% higher at ₹119. The stock has fallen 11.23% so far this year and 16.13% over the past 12 months.
Home Energy News IEX electricity trading hits record 13.94 billion units in August as power demand jumps
