SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir is currently operating with barely half of the hydropower capacity it expects to achieve over the next few years, even as the government steps up efforts to fast-track a series of large projects that could nearly double electricity generation in the Union Territory by the end of the decade.
Official data placed by the Power Development Department shows that the Union Territory has 32 hydroelectric projects in operation with a combined installed capacity of 3,540.15 megawatts. While this forms the backbone of the region’s electricity supply, another 3,704.5 megawatts is either under construction or proposed for commissioning between 2026–27 and 2030–31. Once these projects come online, the total installed capacity is expected to rise to more than 7,300 megawatts, significantly altering the power balance of the region.
Despite its vast river systems and long-recognised hydropower potential, Jammu and Kashmir continues to depend on power imports, particularly during winter months when demand peaks and generation dips. Officials say the present installed base is insufficient to fully meet domestic and industrial needs, underscoring the urgency of ongoing expansion works.
A large share of the existing capacity comes from centrally operated projects, which account for 2,250 megawatts. These include major stations such as Salal, Uri-I and Uri-II, Dulhasti, Kishenganga and Sewa-II that have been commissioned over several decades. Projects under the Union Territory sector together contribute around 1,197 megawatts through stations such as Baglihar stages I and II, Lower Jhelum, Upper Sindh units, Chenani plants, Pahalgam and Karnah. The private or independent power producer segment remains marginal, contributing less than 100 megawatts to the total.
Energy planners acknowledge that while several large dams were completed in the past, additions slowed in recent years even as demand continued to grow. As a result, the region has often faced shortages that require expensive purchases from the northern grid.
The government now hopes to reverse this trend through an ambitious commissioning schedule spread over the next five years. Some of the biggest hydroelectric projects in the country are at various stages of execution in Jammu and Kashmir, including Pakaldul, Kiru, Kwar and Ratle, along with expansions at Uri and Dulhasti and new medium-sized stations such as New Ganderbal and Lower Kalnai. These schemes together are expected to add thousands of megawatts of capacity in phases, steadily raising the installed base from the current 3,540.15 megawatts to over 5,200 megawatts in the first stage and eventually to around 7,314.85 megawatts by 2030–31.
Officials say this expansion is intended not only to achieve energy self-sufficiency but also to enable Jammu and Kashmir to sell surplus electricity to other states, creating a steady revenue stream for the government while improving supply reliability for consumers.
At the same time, smaller projects have not progressed as smoothly. The 40 megawatt Ans-I hydroelectric project in Gulabgarh constituency, tendered during 2011–12 and allotted the following year, remains stalled more than a decade later. Although an implementation agreement was executed in 2013, the project failed to move forward due to non-performance by the independent power producer. The Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation issued a notice of default in August 2025. The developer later submitted a detailed project report and financial analysis indicating a 40-year levelised tariff of Rs 7.30 per kilowatt hour, which officials said was higher than prevailing market rates and rendered the project commercially unviable. The company has since sought to exit the project and requested a refund of its deposited premium, and the matter is under consideration in accordance with policy provisions.
Hydropower continues to be viewed as central to the Union Territory’s long-term energy strategy because of its relatively low operating costs and clean generation profile once infrastructure is in place. Authorities maintain that timely completion of ongoing projects will reduce dependence on external procurement, stabilise supply during peak seasons and generate employment during both construction and operation phases.
For now, the figures underline the scale of the challenge. Even with more than three dozen projects running, Jammu and Kashmir’s installed capacity remains well below what planners consider necessary. Whether the coming decade finally unlocks the region’s full hydropower potential will depend largely on how efficiently these new projects are executed and brought online.
