NEPRA Holds National Grid and CPPA Responsible for 2021 Nationwide Blackout, Imposes Rs25 Million Fines

Four years after Pakistan’s nationwide blackout, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has officially held the National Grid Company and the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) accountable for the power failure. Both organisations have been fined Rs25 million each, with instructions to deposit the penalties within 15 days.

The blackout on January 8, 2021, left the country without electricity for nearly 20 hours, and NEPRA found that the National Grid Company and CPPA did not restore power in a timely manner. The regulator also highlighted that major power interruptions occurred in 2021, 2022, and 2023, exposing ongoing vulnerabilities in the national grid system.

A special investigation committee was formed to examine the blackout, but during hearings, both entities failed to satisfy the authority. Reports indicate that the organisations attempted to shift responsibility onto each other.

NEPRA’s final ruling concluded that both the National Grid Company and CPPA were responsible for delayed restoration efforts and repeated failures in maintaining system stability.