THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It’s that time of the year when energy conservation becomes a major talking point once again. Even before the summer has formally set in, power consumption in the state has started spiralling upwards like never before.
On February 16, electricity consumption in the state stood at a staggering 72.23 million units (MU). And not only that, the daily consumption has consistently clocked over the 70 MU-mark since February 12!
In the past, soaring consumption levels like these would have been registered only at the peak of the summer season, somewhere between March 15-April 15.In comparison, the daily consumption on February 16 last year was only 67.9 MU and on February 17, 65.83 MU.
The KSEB, however, is hopeful of negotiating the summer without power cuts through carefully planned power purchases. Electricity Minister M M Mani had informed the Assembly last month there will not be power cuts or load-shedding this year. With the summer approaching, the KSEB has already toned down hydropower generation to 10-12 MU daily.
At present, power imports make up over 58 MU daily . On the other hand, the water storage levels in the hydel reservoirs are far better this year compared to 2017, when the power sector went through a rough patch due to drought.
This year, the hydel reservoirs combined are 68 per cent full with storage enough to generate 2,605 MU. Last year, storage had stood at only 1,675 MU. The Idukki reservoir is 57 per cent full, according to the KSEB’s load despatch centre.