After shortage, 145;load crash146; causes trouble

On a day when the Central Power Regulator imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation for overdrawing power, the entire northern grid was on the brink of a major blackout on the night of May 8 and the morning of May 9 due to sudden surplus in power after states started cutting off their supplies.

Freak winds and thunderstorms in J-K, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi late last night forced the respective state electricity utilities to shut off supplies as they feared damage to transformers. Eventually, this cascaded into a 8216;8216;load crash,8217;8217; where demand fell from around 22,500 MW to less than 15,000 MW.

Sources said the states acted in individual interest and feared a bigger backlash if transformers burnt out. The problem caused a drop in demand at a time when all the power stations in the region were asked to step up generation and meet shortage.

When the states 8216;8216;unilaterally8217;8217; started taking this preventive action, power stations in the region could not make that instantaneous adjustment to match the fall in demand.

The Central Power Regulator has indicated that the culprit states would be hauled up once the matter is formally brought to their notice.

kandula.subramaniamexpressindia.com