The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has announced that partial power restrictions will be imposed during Tuesday's evening peak hours after failing to secure the required quantum of electricity through the Power Exchange.

KSEB attributed the situation to a combination of below-normal rainfall linked to the El Niño phenomenon and persistently high temperatures, which have driven electricity consumption in the state to significantly higher levels than in previous years. The surge in power demand across the country has also reduced the availability of electricity on the Power Exchange.

As a point of fact, daily consumption is not conspicuously higher than last July. If the average daily consumption in July 2025 was 79 million units, this time it is 82 million units. What's more, KSEB has not overworked its hydel stations like last year. In July 2025, because of the copious rains, hydel generation was over 40 million units a day. This time, it is limited to below 15 million units a day.

Last July, KSEB could afford to generate more hydel power because at that stage its biggest dam, Idukki, had enough water to generate 1246 million units. Now, the Idukki dam has water to generate only 631 million units. 

But it is the peak demand that is the worry. Last July, it had never crossed 4000 MW. This time, it has consistently been over 4000 MW. On July 7, it was 4657 MW. Top KSEB officials say that daily air-conditioner use, which peaked in the summer, has not come down in any noticeable manner during the monsoon. Charging of electric vehicles during the night is also sustaining peak-hour consumption at high levels.

However, the temporary restrictions have been prompted by the shortage in the short-term market.