Our Correspondent
Kohima | March 16
With a peak demand of 193 MW, the state relies on imports for 95% of its requirement during the lean season and 90% during the monsoon.
To address this dependency, the state government has decided to make power development a high priority area to achieve energy self-sufficiency. This was stated in the Annual Administrative Report 2025-26 of the Power Department, tabled during the 8th session of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
The Report stated that two hydropower projects with a total installed capacity of 66 MW (42+24 MW) have been taken up to be funded under EAP/ADB.
Solar power generation and others under IPP mode is allowed under the State Power Policy 2018.
As a multi-disciplinary sector – Electricity Department was renamed as Department of Power in 1981.
Besides evolving suitable State Power Policy & Planning to meet the State energy requirement – Department of Power, as a government utility is assigned to carry out the activities like; Electricity Generation, Purchase of Electricity, Transmission of Electricity, Distribution of Electricity, Billing and Collection of Electricity charges and providing Quality Services.
Under the new Regulatory regime mandated by the Electricity Action 2003 (EA 2003), which repealed the Indian Electricity Act 1910, the power sector is seeing tremendous changes in its functions and operational environment, the report stated.
This mandates the professionalization and unbundling of the above activities into separate entities.
Another important sub-set of responsibility is the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) which deals with grid management, grid security & power trading.
The present peak power demand of the State is about 193 MW and is projected to touch 304 MW by 2035.
The State-owned installed capacity is only 29.4 MW, due to which 90% of the State’s Power requirement is imported from the Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) generating stations located in the Northeast part of the country.
This causes a huge burden on the State exchequer for power purchase. Hence, there is an urgent need to enhance the generating capacity of the State not only to meet the increasing demand but also from the State’s economy point of view, the report stated.
Enhancing Hydro Generation Capacity of the State has also become vital to ensure energy security, compliance of Renewable Purchase/ Consumption Obligation (RPO)/RCO of the state.
So far, the State has been able to develop only one major generation project, namely Likimro Hydroelectric Project (HEP) with an installed capacity of 24 MW. The projects that have been successfully commissioned and are currently in operation are as follows: 24 MW Likimro HEP in Kiphire District, 1 MW Lang SHP in Noklak District, 1 MW Tehok SHP in Mon District, 2.4 MW Duilumroi SHP in Peren District and 1 MW Ponglefo SHP in Kiphire District.
The total energy generated by these projects from April 2025- December 2025 is 84.42 MU, the report stated.
