Nepra imposes Rs25 million fine on K-Electric over 2023 power breakdown

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has fined K-Electric Rs25 million for its failure to restore electricity following the nationwide power breakdown in January 2023.

According to NEPRA, the power company failed to fulfill its operational responsibilities during the outage.

The regulator said repeated tripping incidents indicated a lack of mock testing of the company’s “black start” facility — a key system designed to restore power after a complete shutdown.

K-Electric has been directed to deposit the fine within 15 days.

Reacting to the decision, a spokesperson for K-Electric expressed surprise over the penalty, stating that the January 2023 power outage had originated from the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) system, not from K-Electric’s network.

The spokesperson added that the company is reviewing NEPRA’s detailed decision and will determine its next course of action after evaluation.