Kerala Minister Says KSEB Working to Bridge Power Shortage as Demand Surges

Kerala is grappling with a severe electricity shortage, Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph said on Friday, pointing to a demand increase of more than 1,000 MW over the same period last year alongside a decline in generation.

Speaking to reporters in Kochi, the Minister said the situation was serious enough that power restrictions had to be imposed on multiple occasions. He said he had held a special discussion with the chairman and members of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) on ways to address the crisis.

"It is not enough to adjust power cut schedules for just one single time slot because there is a severe power shortage," he said, adding that the additional demand of over 1,000 MW compared with last year was the central problem.

Mr. Joseph attributed the rise in consumption to greater use of air conditioners and fans as well as the growing number of electric vehicles. Peak demand hours had shifted towards late night, he said, because people charge their vehicles after returning from work and other activities.

He said consumption had risen while generation had fallen, and that a coal shortage had prompted the Central government to write to Kerala along with other States on the issue.

The Minister said the State could not immediately sign long-term power purchase agreements, as such contracts require tenders, participation by eligible suppliers, regulatory approval and several months to complete. Efforts to buy power through short-term purchases in the day-ahead and real-time markets had also not yielded sufficient supply, he said.

"There is no availability in those markets either. Since power generation has fallen and demand has surged nationwide, supply has dropped," Mr. Joseph said, adding that prices rise sharply when demand increases and supply falls.

He noted that power was available at lower rates during the day because of solar generation, but the State lacked adequate infrastructure to store that electricity for night-time use. Projects to set up power storage facilities are under way at Mylatti and Mulleria in Kasaragod, Sreekandapuram in Kannur, Pothencode in Thiruvananthapuram and Areekode in Malappuram, he said.

Work on a 500 MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project at Brahmapuram in Ernakulam district would begin once the land is cleared, the Minister said.

Mr. Joseph said Kerala generates only about 25% of its electricity requirement within the State and has not been able to launch a major power project since Idukki. Hydroelectric power remains its primary source, but new hydroelectric projects have not taken off, he said, and the State has also faced difficulties in pursuing nuclear power projects despite suggestions from the Centre to explore that option.

He also rejected criticism from the Opposition, saying the present United Democratic Front government should not be blamed alone, as lapses during the previous Left Democratic Front's tenure had contributed to the current situation.