Record power demand in Poland – what does it mean for businesses?

The Polish power system is once again under severe pressure. In recent days, record power demand in Poland has been recorded, exceeding 29 GW. Importantly, this is the second such record in just two years. This is a clear signal that we are dealing not with a one-off event, but with a sustained trend of increasing energy demand.

For businesses, this is not just information from the energy market. It is a real warning signal.

The power system is operating closer and closer to its limits

High power demand means that the system must utilize all available reserves during peak times. The grid operator, Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne, is managing the balancing, but it is doing so under increasingly difficult conditions.

The main reasons for this phenomenon are well-known:

– growing energy consumption in industry and the service sector,
– increasing electrification of heating, transport, and technological processes,
– dynamic development of renewable energy sources without a parallel increase in system flexibility.

The effect is simple: the difference between instantaneous demand and available, controllable power is constantly decreasing.

Power records and energy costs for businesses

For business customers, record power demand is not an abstract systemic problem, but a phenomenon that very quickly materializes in hourly energy prices on the day-ahead market (DAM). As the system approaches its power limits, prices become unstable and begin to react sharply to temporary overloads.

A good example is January 13, 2026. During the night and early morning hours, energy prices remained at the level of PLN 480-500/MWh. The situation changed significantly from 8:00 AM, when the rate jumped to about PLN 1,230/MWh, and in subsequent peak hours reached levels of PLN 1,900-2,000/MWh (9:00 AM - 2:00 PM). Only in the evening, as demand decreased, did prices gradually return to levels of several hundred zlotys per MWh.

This shows that with record system loads, the cost of energy increasingly depends not on how much a company consumes during the day, but on which hours that consumption falls. Short-term power peaks during peak hours can generate disproportionately high costs, even if the total volume of energy remains unchanged.

Why local flexibility is becoming crucial

From Technius's perspective, successive demand records clearly show that the central power system will not solve all problems on its own. Solutions on the customer side, which allow companies to actively respond to the changing conditions of the grid's operation, are becoming increasingly important.

Energy Storage Systems (ESS) and Energy Management Systems (EMS) enable the reduction of demand during peak hours, stabilization of the consumption profile, and reduction of dependence on temporary system overloads. This allows businesses not only to better control energy costs but also to increase the predictability of their operations in conditions of increasingly frequent grid stress.

This is not about disconnecting from the power system, but about conscious and controlled energy management at times when it is most expensive and most burdensome for the infrastructure.

Record power demand is the new normal

The second demand record in two years clearly shows that similar situations will recur. With the further electrification of the economy, pressure on the system will increase.

The key question for companies is no longer whether the records will be repeated, but whether the organization is prepared to operate in conditions of increasing volatility and limited grid flexibility.

Technius designs and implements ESS and EMS systems precisely so that businesses can navigate these changes in a predictable, controlled, and commercially justified manner.

---

Power records are a warning signal.

Schedule a consultation and find out how record power demand affects the costs and energy consumption profile of your company.