Karnataka prepares for power supply during summer as consumers grapple with outages
As complaints of power cuts continued to pour in from various parts of the State, including Bengaluru, Energy Department officials said the department has scaled up power supply by more than 3,000 MW to meet the additional load through various sources, including thermal power, pr
Power demand stood at 298 million units on September 30, lower than the level recorded a few weeks ago
Updated - October 01, 2026 11:41 pm IST - Bengaluru
From November 1, another 1,000 MW of power will reportedly be available as the State will stop returning power borrowed earlier from northern States. | Photo Credit: File photo
As complaints of power cuts continued to pour in from various parts of the State, including Bengaluru, Energy Department officials said the department has scaled up power supply by more than 3,000 MW to meet the additional load through various sources, including thermal power, procurement from the central grid and independent power generators.
According to the State Load Dispatch Centre, power demand stood at 298 million units (MU) on September 30, lower than the level recorded a few weeks ago. In early and mid-September, power demand had reached 340 MU.
An official said, “The power demand might have reduced due to the good rains received in the past few days. However, we are in a better position in terms of power supply when compared to other States in South India. Power disruptions might be due to overloading, line clearance and even maintenance works at substations that go on for a day.”
However, consumers argued that power cuts are frequent. A resident near HAL in Bengaluru said, “Recently, the Energy Minister said there would be no load-shedding for now. However, in the last few days, power cuts have been rampant in our area. I have lost count of the number of times there have been power failures in our apartment complex. We are managing only because of our generator backup.”
Girijamma, a resident of Rajajinagar, said, “For two days, power supply was unavailable from 10 a.m. and resumed only after 2 p.m. My son has to work from home and with such power cuts, it is difficult. When we call the helpline number, they say it is due to maintenance work.”
There were similar complaints from other districts too
Sanjay Zirali, a resident of Belagavi, said, “I run a small clinic and power disruptions for two to three hours in the evening are a major problem as it becomes difficult to treat patients. I am planning to install an inverter or UPS.”
Meanwhile, Minister for Energy and Tourism K.J. George said on Thursday that the State is fully prepared to meet electricity demand in the coming months, with plans in place to meet the projected requirement. “As in the past, we are also exploring power procurement through exchange arrangements with Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana,” he said.
Mr. George added, “Apart from State thermal generation, we have procured 2,000 MW of thermal power in recent months. The annual maintenance of KPCL’s thermal units has been optimised to ensure most units remain available for generation. Adequate coal stocks are being built up. In addition, power banking from northern States will be utilised from November onwards, depending on demand, to meet the State’s energy requirements.”
Gaurav Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary, Energy Department, said, “The State is fully prepared to handle the power situation for now and during the upcoming summer months. We know that electricity demand increased by 30% in September, driven by the impact of El Niño. To meet the sharp increase in demand, the State has scaled up power supply by more than 3,000 MW to meet the additional load.”
He noted that from November 1, another 1,000 MW of power would be available as the State would stop returning power borrowed earlier from northern States.
Mr. Gupta added that an additional 230 MW is being taken in advance from other generators. “Another 236 MW has been allocated to the State from the central pool (Eastern Grid). Further, a Section 11 notification has been issued by the Government of India with effect from October 1, which will make more power available in the exchanges,” he said.
Mr. George also said Karnataka is taking concrete steps to build energy storage capacity as an important component of its long-term power security strategy. “Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) will provide greater flexibility in managing peak demand and integrating renewable energy into the grid.”
He explained, “Under KPTCL, projects totalling 500 MW/1,000 MWh are at various stages of implementation. KREDL is also pursuing a 250 MW solar project with 1,100 MWh of BESS at the Pavagada Solar Park. In addition, a 900 MWh BESS project comprising 250 MW/500 MWh at Kushtagi and 200 MW/400 MWh at Huliyurdurga is being taken up.”
Published - October 01, 2026 09:52 pm IST
