ISLAMABAD: National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Tuesday issued a show-cause notice to Karachi Electric (KE) for "unscheduled" load shedding in Karachi and Hyderabad.

Nepra's experts went through the entire data and statements of witnesses submitted by the Investigation Committee headed by Nadir Khoso, Director General, Monitoring and Enforcement.

According to an official statement, Investigation Committee constituted to conduct Investigation in the matter of excessive load shedding in Karachi has submitted its report to the Authority.

In the light of findings of the Investigation Committee, the Authority has decided to proceed further and issue a Show Cause Notice to K-Electric, the statement added.

The team is of the view that the power utility is responsible for the current "mess" in Karachi and Hyderabad.

The regulator took notice of load shedding in Karachi. Nepra team inspected KE's feeders and power plants. It also reviewed generation capacity of KE power plants, demand and supply.

According to the report, KE did not produce electricity on furnace which is expensive as compared electricity generated on gas.

Nepra is of the view that KE's system failed to ensure unscheduled supply to consumers. The regulator maintained that KE has also failed to invest in generation. The overdue amount of SSGC against KE was also one of the reasons of reduction in power utility's own generation.

Governor Sindh, Imran Ismail and Minister for Energy Sindh, Imtiaz Shaikh wrote letters to Nepra against "overbilling" and recent "unscheduled" load shedding.

The power utility, however, was of the view that it was not provided the required furnace oil and gas due to which its generation was reduced. KE has taken this stance at all high level meetings held in Karachi and Islamabad.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020