State Electricity Regulatory Commission pulls up KSEB for erratic power curbs

The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) has pulled up the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) for the “erratic and unpredictable nature” of the power curbs being imposed by it and directed the power utility to alert the public in advance about the timings and duration of the daily restrictions.

At a public hearing here, commission chairman T.K. Jose and member B. Pradeep wanted the KSEB to ensure a “stable and predictable” pattern for the load restrictions. The KSEB representatives at the hearing told the commission that the power utility will comply with the direction.

The commission’s instruction has come at a time when the KSEB is facing flak for the seemingly arbitrary nature of the load-shedding and the number of times they are imposed in a day. Mr. Pradeep said that it is possible for the KSEB to make a “reasonable estimation” of the next day’s demand beforehand and plan the load restrictions accordingly. The public faces uncertainty when they don’t know when the power will go out, Mr. Pradeep said, urging the KSEB to explore the possibility of maintaining a pattern for the restrictions. Mr. Jose said alerting the public beforehand will prove especially useful to a large section such as patients.

Kerala to receive 200 MW from Sunday

As Kerala continues to grapple with a power crisis, the State will starting receiving 200 MW from two sources from Sunday (July 19, 2026).

A senior KSEB official informed the commission about this at a public hearing on the KSEB proposal to procure a total of 200 MW from NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd (NVVNL) and Power Pulse Trading Solutions Ltd at ₹5.96 per for a one-year period.

Given the emergency in the power sector, the commission had already given the KSEB verbal assurance to start the procurement although formal orders were expected to follow, Mr. Jose said.

The short-term power purchase is for the period till July 14, 2027.

The KSEB proposal was based on the assessment that that there could be a “persistent base round-the-clock (RTC) power deficit of around 200 MW throughout the year, coupled with the weak monsoon and low reservoir levels, which are expected to adversely impact power availability.”

At Saturday’s hearing the commission asked the KSEB whether there was any alternative to load-shedding and whether they were, from a financial perspective, profitable or loss-making for the power utility.