The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has fined K-Electric Rs. 25 million for operational lapses during the nationwide blackout in January 2023. The regulator stated that K-Electric’s internal failures contributed significantly to the outage.
Nepra announced the penalty after a detailed investigation found the company’s explanations for the blackout “unsatisfactory and unacceptable.” The utility failed to justify faults within its own system and could not shift full responsibility to the National Grid.
The inquiry revealed that K-Electric’s Black Start system, designed to restart power generation independently after a total blackout, failed at a crucial moment. Nepra’s report also highlighted unresolved technical flaws in the Black Start plants and repeated tripping during the outage. These issues exposed weaknesses in the company’s safety mechanisms. K-Electric has been instructed to pay the fine within 15 days.
The January 23, 2023, blackout was one of the worst in Pakistan’s history. Millions of people were left without electricity for hours, and businesses, daily life, and essential services were severely disrupted.
In response, a K-Electric spokesperson described the penalty as surprising. They claimed the outage resulted from a disturbance in the NTDC system. The company added that it is reviewing Nepra’s detailed decision and will determine its next steps accordingly.
For more details on Nepra’s stance regarding rising electricity costs, see Only A Miracle Can Reduce Escalating Capacity Charges: NEPRA.
Industry experts said the incident highlights the need for better infrastructure and stricter monitoring. Nepra has urged all power utilities to improve operational reliability to prevent similar failures in the future.
