Mumbai, July 1 -- Kerala is experiencing power cuts during night hours owing to a shortage of electricity supplied from other states, the state electricity minister said. He reported that electricity was available at around 45 paise per unit during the daytime but could not be procured at Rs 10 per unit at night. The minister noted that electricity borrowed from northern states during March and April had to be returned and that around 400 megawatt (MW) of power needed to be given back.
Power generation from Kerala's hydel projects has declined because reservoir storage is low. Reservoir storage was around 47 per cent during this period last year but was just 21 per cent this year, and rainfall has been below normal. Even so, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has been purchasing whatever power is available from other states to manage demand.
The minister explained that the state cannot purchase electricity beyond Rs 10 per unit because of regulatory and market constraints. He rejected suggestions that regulation was timed to coincide with telecasts of major sporting events, noting that unavailability at night rather than intentional restriction was the driver. Solar power could significantly supplement supply during the daytime, but large-scale battery storage systems for night-time use are not yet widely operational despite a few projects starting.
The minister appealed to the public to reduce electricity consumption voluntarily and said that more external purchases would be the only option if shortages worsen. He recalled that KSEB had entered a long-term agreement to procure 465 MW at Rs 4.69 per unit from a private company during the tenure of a former minister. The matter was stated to be pending before the Supreme Court and KSEB had engaged senior advocate Kapil Sibal to represent it, with a hearing likely next month.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.