Bengaluru: Karnataka Energy Minister K.J. George has cleared the air amid electricity outages in the State. He has stated that there will be no power outages till January 2024 but may face issues after January.

Reeling with a shortfall of 3,000 to 3,500 MW on a daily basis due to weak monsoon, Karnataka has made a quick recovery in a month’s time and overcome the power shortage through various short-term methods, he claimed.

He also claimed there is no power shortage in Karnataka currently and all stakeholders, including farmers, are supplied  power without interruptions. However, he cautioned citizens that the demand may scale up from February 2024 and assured that the Government has made plans to cater to the demand.

Giving an outline of Karnataka’s energy scenario on Tuesday, George said, “After invoking Section 11, all private generators are supplying more than 1,000 MW of power to the Government. There is no threat till January as we have sufficient supply. However, the demand may shoot up from February. Our expectation is that Karnataka’s demand may touch 16,500 MW or 300 Mu per day.”

However, anticipating a surge in demand, the Government has already made preparations to ensure there are no interruptions during the summer months.

“Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) has permitted us to purchase 1,500 MW of short-term power depending on the demand. We are also getting power from Uttar Pradesh (100 to 600 MW) and Punjab (300 MW) on barter system. These measures have helped Karnataka overcome the crisis for the time being,” George said.