Bhutan’s electricity imports more than doubled during the 2025–2026 winter lean season as rapidly rising domestic consumption continued to outpace seasonal hydropower generation. Figures from the Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) reveal that the country imported 2,118.08 million units (MU) of electricity from India through the Indian Energy Exchange between November 2025 and May 2026. This marks a steep 112 percent increase from the 998.85 MU imported during the previous 2024–2025 lean period, driving overall import expenditures up from INR 3.40 billion to INR 7.09 billion.
The surge highlights a growing structural reliance on seasonal power imports, driven by expanding industrial activity, urbanization, electric vehicle adoption, and the growth of energy-intensive digital infrastructure. Because river flows drop significantly during the dry winter months, domestic hydropower output falls sharply just as cold-weather heating demand peaks. Although favorable pre-monsoon rains allowed DGPC to boost generation by 10 to 15 percent and conclude winter purchases slightly earlier than scheduled on May 14, the additional output was insufficient to offset the steep rise in underlying demand.
While Bhutan maintains a net surplus in electricity trade overall due to heavy exports during the high-flow monsoon season, energy experts project that seasonal winter deficits will persist until new hydropower and renewable energy installations come online after 2032. The growing dependence on regional grid imports underlines the urgency of expanding domestic generation and energy storage capacity to ensure long-term energy security.