Uninterrupted, cheap power still a challenge in Karnataka, despite surplus 

Karnataka has been claiming to be a power surplus State, also emerging as the top ranker in renewable energy

There was a time when citizens and power utilities alike dreaded the summer, which had become synonymous with power cuts. Photos of students preparing for exams under candlelight were regulars in newspapers. Power utilities such as the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) would prepare contingency plans to ensure maximum supply.

But since the last few years, Karnataka has been claiming to be a power surplus State, also emerging as the top ranker in renewable energy (RE). 

But this has neither ensured power cut-free days in either the capital or the rest of the State nor has it helped in bringing down tariffs, which have only seen a steady increase in the recent past. 

Senior Energy Department officials said Karnataka’s journey from a power deficit to surplus State has been a result of, among other things, emphasis on RE which contributed to capacity addition, especially through solar. 

Responding to questions of why the State was still purchasing power from private players, an official said: “These are all PPAs (power purchase agreements) signed for 25 years. They are called in when necessary as RE is not sustained power and is unreliable. For instance, solar is only available during the day, and wind output also has no guarantee. So this power is kept as reserve and called upon when needed.” Coal shortage is a day-to-day to affair, he added, when asked about thermal plants. 

According to Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. (KPTCL), the installed generation capacity in the State is 30,523 MW. The peak demand shoots up significantly during summer.

M.G. Prabhakar, former member of the advisory committee, Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission, said the State’s power scenario was an example of “water water everywhere, not a drop to drink.”