Kerala is witnessing power supply challenges as poor rainfall has reduced water availability in reservoirs, impacting the state's hydropower generation capacity. State Power Minister Sunny Joseph said the shortage is mainly due to insufficient rainfall, declining reservoir storage and a sharp rise in electricity consumption during the summer season.

According to the Minister, Kerala had made arrangements for extra power supply from other states during March and April because of their expectations of heavy monsoon rains and increased inflow of water in hydel reservoirs. But owing to delayed and lower than expected rains, the situation is proving difficult for Kerala.

Hydropower continues to be an important energy provider for Kerala. The shortage of water in turn means that Kerala has to rely heavily on external supply of electricity in order to keep up with the demand, especially since at nighttime when the sun is down, no solar power can be generated.

According to officials, reservoir storage has dropped significantly compared with the previous year, limiting the ability of power utilities to generate electricity through hydro projects. The situation has become more challenging due to increased power consumption caused by high temperatures and greater use of cooling appliances.

The minister highlighted that even though solar energy has contributed towards meeting the demands during daytime, there are issues pertaining to handling the peak load during nighttime. Both the government of Kerala and the Kerala State Electricity Board are looking into ways of sourcing power.

Experts have suggested that the frequent reliance on hydropower that is dependent on rainwater calls for the state of Kerala to hasten its efforts in making renewable energy investments and energy storage facilities.