Bengaluru: A day after energy minister KJ George allayed concerns over a possible power crisis amid looming drought conditions, parts of southern Karnataka witnessed unscheduled intermittent power cuts following a sudden drop in electricity generation.Energy department sources told TOI that wind power generation in the state plunged by more than 2,000 MW, putting pressure on the grid. The drop began around 6.30am Wednesday and continued until about 4pm, with generation recovering marginally in the evening before slipping again.With the southwest monsoon remaining weak and hydropower generation constrained by low reservoir levels, Karnataka has been relying heavily on thermal power from Ballari and Raichur, along with solar and wind energy, to meet demand.Officials at the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation load dispatch centre confirmed the sharp decline in wind generation. Sources said the sudden shortfall prompted intermittent, unscheduled power cuts in several parts of southern Karnataka as authorities sought to balance supply with demand. Senior energy department officials, however, said the situation was brought under control by sourcing additional power from central generating stations, thermal units and the power exchange.TOI contacted the Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd (KREDL) to ascertain the reason for the sudden fall in wind generation, but officials did not respond.
