Thiruvananthapuram: A lack of coordination between the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and the regulator — the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) — appears to have pushed the state's power sector into its worst phase in a decade.
With average daily consumption hovering above 115 MU and no relief from the sweltering summer, the board has been forced to impose load restrictions across regions. This comes even as the absence of a definitive weather forecast leaves the state vulnerable to demand projections going awry — from the peak summer months to the monsoon onset.
The trust deficit between KSEB and KSERC has become increasingly evident during hearings on petitions in recent years. The expiry of swap agreements for 400 MW after the second week of April worsened the state's power situation. The availability of relatively cheap power in the first half of April gave the board the confidence to wait. But with hopes of summer rain failing, it pressed a petition it filed before the regulator seeking approval to purchase 250 MW from the Term Ahead Market, which allows power procurement up to 90 days in advance.
KSEB official statement: "We cannot but rely on weather predictions, as our power generation is predominantly hydel. When it became clear that the anticipated summer showers may not materialise, we approached the commission for approval to purchase 250 MW of power, but it failed to act in time. A petition submitted on April 8 was heard only on April 24, and by then, availability in the market had nosedived. It will now be difficult for KSEB to leverage the order approved by the commission on April 24, as power demand hit an all-time high on April 25," a senior KSEB official said.
Meanwhile, the commission once again accused KSEB of failing to provide adequate data on power demand and availability and noted in its order that the board has the option to procure power during contingencies without prior approval. "Internal mechanisms, including the core committee and operations committee comprising officials from various functional units, formed by KSEB to manage critical power situations after assessing techno-financial aspects in compliance with the commission's directions, need to be more meticulous and analytical in evaluating ground realities and making recommendations," it said.
However, KSEB officials are reluctant to procure power without prior approval from the commission. Past experience has shown that such "risky" purchases could leave them exposed if the power scenario shifts suddenly with an unexpected spell of summer rain. "The commission had earlier raised doubts over KSEB's demand projections. But now, demand is inching towards 6,000 MW, far beyond those estimates. Given the commission's persistent scepticism about KSEB's professional assessment, officials are unlikely to go the extra mile without prior approval," said a senior KSEB engineer familiar with the developments.
With the state currently under a caretaker government, there is little political pressure on the board. As the intense summer heat shows no signs of easing, KSEB is struggling to manage the situation without resorting to load restrictions, which could mean outages of up to 30 minutes. Unless there is a dip in power demand at the national level, such restrictions are likely to continue for a while.
