Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 26 (PTI) The Kerala electricity regulatory authority has permitted the KSEB to procure additional electricity to meet power requirements following high consumption during the summer period.
The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) chairman TK Jose and member B Pradeep granted permission on Saturday on a petition filed by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), citing high power consumption during the peak summer season in the state.
In its petition, KSEB stated that despite alternative power procurement arrangements, the state faces significant peak and average deficits during late April and early May 2026.
The commission, while considering the petition, examined KSEB’s system statistics for March and April 2026.
It noted that the average peak demand met during weekdays from the third week of April onwards was between 5,900 MW and 6,000 MW, while night-time off-peak demand ranged from 4,500 MW to 5,000 MW.
Average energy consumption exceeded 100 million units per day during weekdays.
However, daytime demand during these days was only around 3,500 MW.
The commission said KSEB had been surrendering up to 1,000 MW of power during daytime from Central Generating Stations and other round-the-clock contracts to accommodate rooftop solar and other solar generation within the state.
It also noted that KSEB has to rely on the short-term market, including power exchanges, to meet electricity demand during peak hours, where rates remain high.
The commission approved KSEB’s proposal to procure up to 250 MW of power through the Day Ahead Contingency Market and Intra-day Market of exchanges for the remaining days of April and up to May 15, 2026, or until the critical power situation in the state improves, whichever is earlier.
It also directed KSEB to establish an immediate mechanism to monitor the daily power situation and place the information before the top management, including the CMD, till May 31, 2026, or until the situation normalises.
KSEB has also been directed to submit day-wise details of the procurement, including cost, before the commission within one week of completion of the procurement process.
On April 17, the state’s daily electricity consumption reached 116.11 million units, the highest recorded so far this month.
Peak power demand on the same day touched 6,013 MW, marking an all-time high in the state’s history.
Meanwhile, opposition parties have raised allegations of unannounced power cuts in several localities. PTI TBA TBA ROH
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