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The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has raised concerns over a 10 percent drop in industrial power consumption in Karachi and urged K-Electric (KE) and the National Grid to improve interconnection for better electricity supply.
Sindh Member (Technical) Rafique Ahmed Shaikh highlighted in a report that KE’s overall electricity sales declined by 6.6 percent in December 2024 compared to the previous year.
Industrial consumption fell by 5.7 percent year-on-year and 9.7 percent compared to November 2024, signaling a worrying trend.
NEPRA has recommended that KE and the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) prioritize upgrading transmission lines to utilize cheaper electricity from the national grid.
NTDC’s power costs Rs9.60 per kWh, significantly lower than KE’s Rs18.63 per kWh.
Despite having the capacity to receive 1,600MW from NTDC, KE only drew an average of 985MW in December, leading to inefficient power generation.
Experts say this underutilization has impacted Karachi’s industries and raised electricity costs.
NEPRA has urged both entities to address key obstacles, including limited transfer capacity and delays in the K2 and K3 transmission lines, to ensure efficient energy use and industrial growth in the city.
