Overview
- Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar on Friday directed the Energy Department to draw up a special emergency action plan in response to forecasts that El Niño could cut hydropower output.
- Officials reported the state's current power reserves are stronger than last year but the plan stresses running government‑allocated coal mines and keeping continuous coal stocks to backfill reduced water generation.
- The CM insisted on fast-tracking Battery Energy Storage Systems and Pumped Storage Projects, speeding smart‑meter and transmission upgrades, and expanding EV charging to handle rising demand from data centres and AI hubs.
- Energy Minister K. J. George asked for clearance or securitisation of Rs 12,631 crore owed by government departments to ESCOMs and the CM directed use of central distribution funds to modernise meters and feeders.
- El Niño typically lowers rainfall and reservoir inflows, so the state also warned farmers to avoid water‑intensive crops and officials flagged that implementation, financing and land/right‑of‑way hurdles must be resolved next.