Indian state government department
The Department of Power is one of the administrative departments of the Government of Kerala. The department is responsible for policy formulation, planning, and oversight relating to electricity generation, transmission, and distribution in the state. It has it’s headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram.
The Power Department is headed by Minister for Electricity, and incumbent minister is K. Krishnankutty.[1][2]
Administratively, the department is headed by an Additional Chief Secretary to Government, an IAS Officer. [3] The current power secretary is Puneet Kumar IAS.[4][5] The Additional Chief Secretary to government is assisted by additional secretaries, joint secretaries, deputy secretaries and under secretaries, and other secretariate staffs.
The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is headed by a Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), and current CMD is Mir Mohammad Ali IAS.[6]
Line departments and aligned institutions
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The department oversees the development of the power sector, formulates policies for electricity generation and distribution, and coordinates various public-sector undertakings in the field of energy.[7]
Power generation, transmission and distribution
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The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) functions under the administrative control of the department and is responsible for power generation, transmission, and distribution across the state. KSEB manages hydroelectric, thermal, and renewable installations and operates the main transmission network.[7][8]
Kerala meets a significant portion of its energy demand through hydropower, supplemented by thermal and renewable sources.[9][10]
The state has been expanding its renewable energy portfolio through solar, small hydro, and wind projects. The Agency for Non-conventional Energy and Rural Technology (ANERT) is the nodal agency for promoting renewable energy and energy conservation in Kerala.[11]
Safety and inspection
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The Electrical Inspectorate Department is responsible for ensuring the safety of electrical installations, enforcing electrical standards, and inspecting high-voltage and public-utility systems. The Electrical Inspectorate investigate electrical accidents.[5] The Electrical Inspectorate Department is headed by a Chief Electrical Inspector, and has its headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram.
