Pakistan’s Power Regulator Fines K-Electric $90,000 Over Blackout Recovery Failure
Islamabad: Pakistan’s National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has fined K-Electric, the country’s largest private power utility, PKR 25 million (around USD 90,000) for failing to restore electricity following a major nationwide blackout in January 2023. NEPRA stated that the company failed to meet its operational responsibilities, with repeated tripping incidents revealing a lack of…
Islamabad: Pakistan’s National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has fined K-Electric, the country’s largest private power utility, PKR 25 million (around USD 90,000) for failing to restore electricity following a major nationwide blackout in January 2023.
NEPRA stated that the company failed to meet its operational responsibilities, with repeated tripping incidents revealing a lack of mock testing for the Black Start Facility, a critical system designed to restart power plants after a complete outage.
The regulator has ordered K-Electric to deposit the fine within 15 days.
In response, a K-Electric spokesperson expressed surprise at the penalty, arguing that the blackout originated in the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) system, not in K-Electric’s network. The utility said it is reviewing NEPRA’s decision and will decide its next course of action accordingly.
