Thiruvananthapuram: Power consumption in the state on Thursday touched 99.927 million units (MU), the highest so far in Sept, as demand rose sharply during the evening and night hours. The highest consumption recorded in 2026 so far was 118.262 MU on April 27.Thursday’s figure was about 15.5% lower than that peak, and Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) managed it without widespread power restrictions, as availability was comparatively better. However, KSEB had to impose load restrictions on Friday.According to KSEB system statistics, the maximum consumption on Thursday was recorded at 5,160MW between 10pm and 10.30pm. The evening peak was 5,305MW at 10.15pm, while the morning peak was 4,233MW at 6.42am. The board is yet to find a lasting solution to the ongoing shortage.The state received 74.335MU through net imports, accounting for nearly three-fourths of the day’s total consumption. Internal generation contributed 25.592MU, of which 23.267MU came from hydel stations.Idukki was the largest source of internal generation, producing 9.062MU, followed by Sabarigiri at 3.776MU and Kuttiadi at 2.335MU. Other hydel stations, independent power producers, wind and solar projects supplied the remaining internal generation. The state’s maximum generation during the day was 1,780MW, while the minimum generation was 173MW.The rise in demand came against a reservoir position that was lower than last year’s level. The state’s major reservoirs held 2,548.767MU, or 62% of their total storage capacity, as on Sept 17. This was 689.124MU, or 21.3%, below last year’s storage of 3,237.891MU on the corresponding date.
