Cannot provide more electricity to Kerala, says Centre

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Centre has said it cannot provide more electricity to Kerala to make up for the power shortage in the state.

Kerala is currently receiving around 1,600 MW from the national grid and is trying to secure more power. The Centre provided an additional 50 MW on Tuesday but has warned the state against seeking more power.

The country is facing a power shortage of around 12,000 MW. Wind power generation has also fallen by 5,000 MW. Thermal power plants are facing production difficulties due to a severe shortage of coal. The open exchange, which is relied upon for the immediate purchase of electricity, is also unable to provide enough power.

KSEB officials held direct discussions with authorities in Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh and Odisha to secure additional power, but the efforts have not yielded results. Kerala had also secured 200 MW from Madhya Pradesh through a power swap agreement, but that supply has not been available for the past week.

In addition, another 270 MW of contracted power that KSEB had been receiving has not been available since Tuesday. KSEB officials have warned that reducing power consumption is the only way to avoid power cuts. Electricity consumption in Kerala is currently around 1,200 MW higher than during the same period last year.