Uttar Pradesh is at the epicentre of India's emerging cooling crisis. Peak power demand crossed 31,347 MW in June 2025, with cooling now estimated to drive 50–55% of summer peak load. Summer maximum in UP cities now reach 45–47 °C, while air-conditioning penetration has tripled to 30%+ in the last decade and is set to rise sharply across the state's 240 million residents.
At the same time, an upcoming urban and industrial pipeline is taking shape: the YEIDA Master Plan 2041, the New Noida DMIC city, the Noida International Airport at Jewar, data-centre pipeline in the Greater Noida belt, the UP Defence Industrial Corridor, and 27 Integrated Manufacturing & Logistics Clusters across 26 districts. Each of these indicates high-density, long-life cooling load which if served by conventional split / VRV systems, could potentially lock in decades of inefficient electricity, refrigerant and water use.
Water-and-sewage stress compounds the case. UP generates approx. 5,500 MLD of sewage against installed treatment capacity of 4,176 MLD across 138 STPs, leaving 1,300 + MLD untreated. District Cooling, through Treated Water Offtake Agreements with new STPs could convert UP's sewage gap into a bankable revenue stream.
Recognising this convergence of cooling, energy, water, and waste challenges we request a high-level workshop be convened in Lucknow to orient line departments and development authorities on District Cooling Systems (DCS), demonstrate Indian and global precedents, and conclude with a shortlist of projects in Lucknow and Noida that the BEE–UNEP DCS Hub can help move to development-ready stage.