The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) has given its provisional approval to a crucial long-term resource mobilization plan submitted by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). The plan charts the power utility's course for the decade spanning from the financial year 2025-26 to 2035-36.
Key Directives and Projections for Kerala's Power Future
While granting the provisional nod, the regulatory commission has directed KSEB to seek prior approval for any additional power purchases required during this extended period. KSERC has also asked the board to furnish more information to verify the data it submitted. This comprehensive plan was prepared by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) on behalf of KSEB in November 2025, adhering to the Union power ministry's Electricity (Amendment) Rules of 2022, which mandate such resource adequacy reports for improved long-term planning.
The report provides a detailed projection of electricity demand across various sectors. It forecasts a robust year-on-year growth of 5% for domestic, commercial, public water works, and HT/EHT industrial consumers. Growth for LT industries is pegged at 3.14%, while public lighting, irrigation, and bulk supply are expected to grow at 2% annually.
Capacity Mix and Critical Storage Recommendations
Based on the study, the total projected contracted power capacity needed for Kerala by 2035-36 is approximately 18,348 Megawatts (MW). This envisioned energy mix is diverse:
- 3,871 MW from coal
- 360 MW from gas
- 371 MW from nuclear
- 3,283 MW from hydro (including the planned 800 MW Idukki extension and 240 MW Letchmi projects)
- 1,159 MW from wind
- 1,947 MW from solar
- 800 MW from round-the-clock (RTC) power
- 5,109 MW from distributed renewable sources
- 550 MW/1,600 MWh from energy storage systems
- 897 MW through medium and short-term open access
The CEA has clarified that this capacity should enable the state to meet future demand while satisfying reliability standards. The report specifically recommends that Kerala should examine the feasibility of power tie-ups from pumped storage plants, in addition to its planned 550 MW from battery energy storage systems, to ensure grid stability.
Risks and Reliability Concerns
The approval comes with a note of caution. The plan highlights that any deviation or delay in the commissioning schedule of planned capacity expansions, especially in hydro projects, could prevent KSEB from meeting the projected peak demand and energy requirements. Such delays could also significantly increase the cost of reliably meeting the state's power demand.
On the infrastructure front, the report projects that transmission and distribution (T&D) losses will increase by 0.2% annually until 2029-30. However, it expects these losses to decline by 0.14% after 2030, anticipating benefits from fresh investments in upgrading the power network.
The provisional approval by KSERC sets the stage for a structured decade of power sector development in Kerala, balancing growth projections with the imperative for reliable, and increasingly green, electricity supply.
