Power demand increases to 5,200 MW; A system alerting the public to power outages should be introduced from Thursday, says the minister

The power crisis faced by the state is not a problem for Keralam alone but is part of the national crisis, said Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph here on Wednesday.

Addressing the media, he said electricity consumption has increased significantly this month due to the hot and humid conditions in the state, which have been exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon in the Pacific. Electricity consumption on Tuesday reached 5200 MW, which means a shortfall of around 900 MW.

The average daily power consumption in the state in September last year was 3,794 MW compared to 5,200 MW on Tuesday. This resulted in a shortfall of about 700 to 900 MW against available supply capacity. The state currently produces only 1,650 MW on its own. It gets 1,500 MW as its central share, 630 MW through long-term contracts and 100 MW through short-term contracts, the minister said.

A system to inform the public about power outages in advance at the feeder level will come into effect from Thursday, he said. While it may not be possible to provide an exact time of the outage, steps are being taken to inform consumers of the approximate timing.

The minister also appealed to the public to cooperate in resolving the crisis and said that the government and the Kerala State Electricity Board were taking all possible steps to resolve the situation. The crisis cannot be solved all at once and that a complete solution will also depend on the availability of rain, he said.

The main reason for the current problems is the huge difference between the availability and consumption of electricity during the day and at night. Although solar energy was available during the day and fed into the grid, it is not possible to buy enough electricity from outside at night. Even though the state is willing to pay ₹10 to ₹16 per unit, electricity is not available in the open market at night. The moment the approval of the regulatory commission is obtained to buy energy at a higher price, the offers received in the market are withdrawn within minutes, the minister said.

As part of its efforts to secure preliminary contracts, KSEB is negotiating with Kayamkulam NTPC, besides trying to increase availability of electricity from its subsidiaries and implement floating solar system projects.

The Grid Controller of India also said in the letter that Keralam will face a power shortage of about 700 MW. The current power supply is managed as per the guidelines and load adjustments of the Bengaluru Regional Load Dispatch to ensure grid security.

Keralam also lags far behind neighboring states in terms of generating its own electricity. While Andhra Pradesh generates 86% of its own requirements, Telangana generates 67%, Karnataka 60% and Tamil Nadu 50%. Keralam can generate only about 27% of its own requirement and the remaining share relies on central agencies and other power plants.

Meanwhile, the minister revealed that the person who called the KSEB office was given his phone number by a KSEB official who told the caller that he could contact the minister when the power supply was restored. According to him, the KSEB chairman was asked to identify the employee.

Published – 9 Sep 2026 20:55 IST