Amid a looming power crisis, Karnataka's Energy Minister, KJ George, led a delegation of officials to Delhi for discussions with the Union Ministry. The state government presented its case, requesting an additional two rakes of coal to address the growing power demand.

According to sources within the department, Karnataka is using coal as it arrives on a daily basis, but increased demand has put pressure on the state's power generation. To ensure a more comfortable situation and meet the rising electricity needs, the state has requested two additional coal rakes. While the Centre has agreed in principle, it has expressed concerns about the national power situation. Additionally, the quality of coal is a concern due to recent rainfall in the Nagpur belt, impacting production.

During the meeting, Minister George also appealed to Union Minister for Power, New and Renewable Energy, RK Singh, to increase Karnataka's share in the central generating stations.

The state currently has around 1.7-2 lakh tonnes of coal, which is used in three thermal power stations daily. Karnataka receives 13-14 rakes of coal per day, each containing approximately 4,000 tonnes, from Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra. The state's thermal power generation stands at 2,118MW daily. As of Wednesday, against an installed capacity of 11,336.6MW, Karnataka is generating 5,919MW from its hydro and thermal units.

The increased demand for thermal energy is attributed to poor monsoon conditions and a decline in renewable energy generation, leading to a challenging power supply situation. Farmers in the region have also been affected, with insufficient power supply for irrigation pumpsets. Activists have staged protests, demanding 10 hours of power supply for the district's 75,000 irrigation pumpsets. They warned of further actions if their demands are not met, including a potential siege of the CESCOM office on October 19.