Kerala to Draft Modern Power Policy, Solar Sector to Be Key: CM Satheesan
Kerala CM V.D. Satheesan said the power crisis should spur a modern energy policy centred on solar, with new renewable regulations due next month.
Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said on Saturday that the State was treating the continuing electricity crisis as a chance to work out a durable solution rather than a problem to be managed temporarily. Speaking at the Core Ren Expo 2026 and Energy Conclave, he said the energy situation sits at the top of his government's priorities and that the time had come for Kerala to frame a "modern power policy", with solar energy as one of its central pillars.
The Chief Minister said his government regards the solar energy sector as an industry in its own right and will give it whatever support it needs. He pointed to the State's power shortage, noting that supply is so tight that buying additional electricity has become difficult even as demand keeps climbing, and argued that Kerala must become self-sufficient in generating its own power.
To that end, he called for a comprehensive plan for power generation that accounts for shifting methods and new innovations in the sector and anticipates future demand projections. He said the government will bring in regulations for the power sector aimed at promoting renewable energy next month.
Mr. Satheesan also turned a critical eye on a section of Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) officials, saying they were unhappy with any mention of renewable energy. "Some people in the KSEB get irritated at the mention of renewable energy. They keep listing reasons not to promote it. I am arriving at some conclusions about why they are upset. I will reveal them in due time," he said.
Highlighting solar energy's particular relevance to the State, he said gaps in storage capacity for the power generated must be closed. Battery storage for solar power needs to improve so that stored electricity can be drawn upon from the evening onwards, he said, adding that such facilities should be built at the community level, including in neighbourhoods, institutions and residents' associations.
The Chief Minister also raised the criticism that a section of KSEB staff was causing frequent and unscheduled power disruptions with the aim of worsening the crisis.