No quick relief for Kerala’s power crisis? New alert system goes live

Kochi: Kerala’s electricity crisis is showing little sign of easing, with power restrictions continuing for a tenth consecutive day amid high consumption and limited availability.

Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph said the restrictions would continue and announced the introduction of a ‘Power Cut Alert’ system, which will inform consumers in advance about scheduled outages. The system is expected to become operational by the evening of September 10.

The current restrictions are being implemented between 6.30 pm and 1 am. The alert system has been introduced following complaints that some areas were experiencing multiple power interruptions.

The government has indicated that the restrictions could continue until the end of September if the supply-demand imbalance persists.

Why the power crisis is continuing

Kerala’s electricity demand has remained exceptionally high while availability from central generating stations has declined.

According to the information provided, consumption rose to around 95 million units, while hydroelectric generation was increased to compensate for the shortfall. Kerala also received 2.79 million units of electricity from Madhya Pradesh as a loan.

However, such additional supplies cannot necessarily be relied upon every day.

Kerala also has an arrangement to receive 200 MW of power around the clock, but electricity borrowed during the high-demand period has to be returned. Around 3.4 million units were returned on Wednesday, adding to the pressure on the state’s power balance.

The state’s reservoirs are currently holding only around 63% of their storage capacity, limiting the scope for substantially increasing hydropower generation.

The situation is further complicated by the lack of short-term contracts to meet peak-hour demand.

Power deficit remains above 600 MW

The state recorded a power deficit of more than 600 MW, highlighting the gap between demand and available supply.

The Kerala State Electricity Board has sought permission to enter into additional short-term contracts for 100 MW after midnight and 25 MW during the day and night.

However, the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission has not yet issued an order approving the arrangements. Commission sources said the KSEB had not submitted all the documents requested for considering the proposal.

Can the crisis end by September 15?

Kerala Opposition Leader V D Satheesan has questioned whether the power crisis can realistically be resolved by September 15, given the continuing gap between consumption and availability.

The assessment cited in the report suggests that the government’s target will be difficult to achieve unless electricity consumption falls, additional power becomes available or weather conditions improve.

With reservoirs at only about 63% capacity, hydropower cannot simply be increased indefinitely. At the same time, electricity borrowed from other states has to be repaid, creating another constraint on supply planning.

The state therefore faces a limited set of immediate options: reduce consumption, secure additional power contracts or wait for improved rainfall and lower temperatures to reduce demand.

Minister blames coordination gaps and lost contracts

Sunny Joseph welcomed former electricity minister K Krishnankutty’s observation that a lack of coordination had contributed to delays and disruptions in power projects.

Joseph also pointed to the loss of long-term power contracts as one factor behind the current situation and criticised what he described as coordination failures under the previous government.

The minister said efforts were under way to resolve the crisis as soon as possible.

Analysis/explainer: why Kerala’s power crisis is difficult to fix quickly

The immediate problem is a classic supply-demand imbalance. Electricity consumption remains high, particularly during evening peak hours, while the state does not have enough readily available generation or contracted supply to cover the gap.

Kerala’s dependence on hydropower makes reservoir levels particularly important. When water storage is limited, the state has less flexibility to increase generation during prolonged periods of high demand.

Buying electricity from outside Kerala can help, but short-term purchases depend on availability in the wider power market and regulatory approvals. Borrowed electricity also creates a future repayment obligation.

That is why simply announcing an end date for power restrictions does not guarantee that outages can stop on that date. For the crisis to ease substantially, Kerala needs a combination of lower demand, additional contracted electricity, improved central allocation or stronger hydropower availability.

The new Power Cut Alert system should at least make scheduled interruptions more predictable for consumers. However, it does not itself increase electricity supply.