Karnataka: Power consumption back to near normal

BENGALURU: If power consumption is anything to go by, economic activity in Karnataka appears to be ‘near normal’ as power consumption in the state is at its highest since the pandemic-induced nationwide lockdown.
Demand was at 11,398 mega watts (MW) on Wednesday, almost the same level as in February 2020, just prior to the lockdown. But electricity supply companies (Escoms) say there is a gap of 5% to 8% in high tension (HT) consumers (bulk power purchasers) compared to pre-Covid days, suggesting a lag in industrial power consumption.
“But this gap is likely to close in the next couple of months,” said MB Rajesh Gowda, managing director, Bescom.
National data also suggests Karnataka’s lag in power consumption is -3.5% compared to last year and Karnataka Power Corporation Limited Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) believes demand and supply of power strongly suggest the pace of economic revival has picked up in the state.
“However, we are still not seeing that spike in industrial need for power. Demand from that sector continues to be flat,” said V Ponnuraj, managing director, KPCL.