Kerala Peak Power Demand Touches Record High
22 Apr 2026 CW Team
On April 14 the Kerala State Electricity Board recorded a peak-hour demand of 6,012 megawatt (MW) and daily consumption of 112.161 million (mn) units. The board said there was no requirement for statewide load shedding even as some rural areas reported unscheduled restrictions. Officials explained that selected curbs are being imposed to address transmission line limitations and are not targeted at rural consumers. The measures were described as technical responses to network constraints rather than supply shortfalls.\n\nPeak hours are traditionally between six thirty pm and ten thirty pm but in summer the period often extends until two am due to increased air conditioner use. Demand crossed five thousand MW in early March and has remained above five thousand five hundred MW for several weeks. The board attributed the absence of frequent outages and major voltage fluctuations this season to a revamped distribution network. Procurement of two thousand four hundred transformers in 2025 has raised carrying capacity to thirteen thousand MW.\n\nIn 2024 hundreds of distribution transformers failed after power surges and the board had moved to procure one thousand seven hundred units but suppliers did not deliver on time. This season no similar widespread failures have been reported, the board said, as network upgrades have improved resilience. The Udupi-Karinthalam-Wayanad four hundred kilovolt (kV) transmission project, originally valued at Rs 10 billion (bn), was launched four years ago and remains to be completed.\n\nThe Kasaragod-Wayanad four hundred kV double circuit line spans one hundred twenty five km with three hundred sixty towers of which one hundred twenty are complete and the work is being executed by L and T Ltd. Compensation has been finalised at three hundred forty per cent of fair price for land owners and completion is planned by December 2026. Power purchase on April 14 included central allocation 1,866 MW and internal generation 1,768 MW.