The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has hinted on plans to conduct an investigative public hearing to permanently resolve the perennial challenges of national grid collapse in the country.
NERC dropped the hint in a statement issued on Saturday, October 19, 2024, expressing concern over the recent escalating incidence of grid disturbances often leading to marked outage in several states thus reversing many of the gains recently achieved in reducing infrastructure deficit and improving grid stability.
It said: “In pursuit of finding a permanent resolution to the challenges of the national grid, the Commission shall shortly conduct an investigative public hearing with a view to identifying immediate and remote causes of recurring incidence of grid disturbances and widespread outages.”
The Commission said, the date and venue of the public hearing would shortly be announced in the national dailies and stakeholders are encouraged to participate.
It said, in line with the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023, the unbundling of the System Operator function (ISO) out of Transmission Company of Nigeria Plc is ongoing with the expectation that an independent SO would engender more discipline in grid management and optimised investment in infrastructure.
On today’s grid collapse, NERC said, initial reports indicate that it was triggered by an explosion of a current transformer at the Jebba transmission station at 0815hrs and associated cascade of power plants shutdown arising from the loss of load lock.
However, it said, efforts to restore supply have advanced with power significantly restored, as at 1300hrs, in 33 states and the FCT.
