Examine if hydropower generation can be shifted to night, Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission tells Kerala State Electricity Board

To accommodate solar power exported to the grid by prosumers during daytime, the Kerala State Electricity Board has been surrendering power already contracted from various other sources. (Photo for representation) | Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) has asked the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to explore the possibility of shifting daytime-hydropower generation to the night.The commission’s direction has come at a time when Keralam is experiencing another bout of electricity shortages in the evening hours.The commission headed by T.K. Jose has made the suggestion on the assumption that if this can be done, it would help address the after-6 p.m. electricity shortages, thereby avoiding expensive power procurement from outside Keralam.Permission sought for power purchaseMr. Jose directed the power utility to examine the possibility at a hearing on Thursday (September 4, 2026) while examining a petition seeking permission for high-cost power purchases to address a projected shortage in the coming months.The commission’s rationale is that Keralam has surplus power during the daytime on account of the sharp rise in solar power capability in recent years. To accommodate solar power exported to the grid by prosumers during the daytime, the KSEB was surrendering power already contracted from various other sources. This was still continuing, the commission said.Shortage in the evening hoursThe State faces shortage in the evening hours when electricity demand peaks and this was being met through costly power purchases, which would ultimately reflect in the consumers’ electricity bills in the form of a surcharge. In such a scenario, a shift in generation patterns of hydropower could ease the crisis in the evening hours and also allow the KSEB to avoid expensive power procurement.At a commission hearing in April 2026, a KSEB representative had stated that the utility was surrendering “6 million units (mu) to 10 mu of round-the-clock (RTC) power,” as electricity was in excess during the daytime due to inflow of solar power into the grid. The same month, the commission too had noted that the KSEB has been surrendering up to 1,000 MW out of its central generating stations (CGS) and other RTC contracts to accommodate surplus solar power.Keralam had battled a power crisis during the 2026 summer and southwest monsoon months. On September 2 and 3, the KSEB had imposed power curbs on a limited scale following shortage in the central supply. Published - September 04, 2026 04:44 pm IST