Energy is the driving force behind Bihar's remarkable economic and social transformation. Since achieving 100 percent house-hold electrification in 2018, Bihar has drastically expanded its energy landscape, now supplying quality and reliable power supply to over 2.20 Crore consumers. In 2005, electricity availability was an average of 5-6 hours per day in rural areas and 10-12 hours in urban areas. Now, electricity is being supplied on an average of 23:38 hours in urban areas and 23:16 hours in rural areas which is monitored on a national level. As a result of the successful implementation of projects and the improvement in the quality and reliability of electricity supply, the demand for electricity in the state is continuously increasing . Peak demand, which was only 700 MW in 2005, has increased to 8752 MW as of July 23, 2025, an increase of more than 12-fold . The number of electricity consumers in the state, which was approximately 17 Lacs in 2005, has crossed 220 Lacs. Per capita electricity consumption in the state, which was 70-75 units in 2005, has now increased to 374 units.
The number of grid substations in the state has increased from 45 (in 2005) to 175 currently. During this same period, power evacuation capacity has increased from 1,000 MW to 15,696 MW, and transmission line length has increased from 5,000 circuit kilometers to 21,520 circuit kilometers. In the year 2005, the number of electrified villages in the state was only 14020, which increased to 39073 (all villages) and during the same period the number of power substations which was only 368 has increased to 1272, the number of distribution transformers increased from 35746 to 373122. The length of 33 KV line has increased from 5754 CKM to 19161 CKM, the length of 11 KV line increased from 32248 CKM to 170192 CKM and the length of LT line increased from 65860 CKM to 409281 CKM.
The purchase cost of electricity is increasing continuously, and despite the high cost of purchasing electricity, the state government is providing affordable electricity to consumers through subsidies to all categories of consumers. To this end, under the Mukhayamantri Vidyut Upbhokta Sahayta Yojna, the State Government is providing per-unit subsidies to all categories of consumers on the tariffs approved by the Regulatory Commission. The total subsidy amount for the current financial year 2025-26 is ₹19,792 crore. It is noteworthy that prior to 2005, the subsidy amount was insignificant. From July 2025, for all domestic consumers, subsidy up to 125 units has been increased to 100% under the Mukhayamantri Vidyut Upbhokta Sahayta Yojna, resulting in no requirement to pay any amount for electricity consumption up to 125 units. For consumption above 125 units, the subsidy as given earlier is continuing.
Bihar's economy is agriculture based. To deal with the problem of drought, the State Government has included Har Khet Tak Sichai Ka Pani as a commitment under Saat Nischay-2. To supply adequate and quality electricity during specified period to agricultural consumers, electricity connections are being given for irrigation purposes by expanding and augmenting infrastructure on a large scale in rural areas. Earlier, the number of agricultural consumers was only 84,000 which is increasing everyday and presently it is 7.76 lakh.
By giving 92 percent subsidy on the approved tariff to farmers for irrigation purposes and also for Cold Storages storing agricultural produce only, payment of 55 paise per unit is only paid by the consumers against the approved rate of Rs 6.74 per unit. The cost of irrigation has been reduced by 90 percent due to the use of cheaper electricity compared to expensive diesel, which directly benefits the farmers. Farmers are also largely benefited due to decreased cost of storage of their products in cold storages.
For accurate monthly billing of electricity consumers and better revenue collection, effective use of IT technology in the form of Smart pre-paid metering is being implemented in all urban and rural areas of Bihar . So far, more than 86 lakh Smart Prepaid Meters have been installed against a consumer base of 220 lakh in the state, which is the highest in the country. Suvidha App has been developed in-house to provide consumer services online and further Suvidha Help Desks have also been made available in the Electricity Divisional Offices.
Due to the improved management of all three functions of revenue management i.e. meter reading, billing & collection with universal implementation of Smart Pre-paid Metering along with efficient functioning of the State's Distribution Companies, AT&C losses have significantly declined. The state's AT&C losses have reduced from 59.24% (2012) to 15.54% during FY 2024-25. This year, the Government of India has awarded 'A' rating to both Distribution Companies for its outstanding performance.
In this financial year, Bihar Policy for Promotion of New and Renewable Energy Sources, 2025 and Bihar Policy for Promotion of Pumped Storage Project, 2025 have been approved. Two agencies have been selected to establish Pump Storage Projects at two locations in Nawada district i.e. Gosaitari (920 MW/7324 MWh) and Ekamba (1200 MW/7308 MWh).
⚡Statistics of important achievements in Power Sector of Bihar at a Glance
| Sl. No. | Parameter | 2005 | 2026 (till now) |
|---|
| 1 | Availability of Electricity | 7-8 Hours | 24X7 |
| 2 | Peak Load | 700 MW | 8752 MW |
| 3 | Number of Consumers | 17 lakhs | 220 lakhs |
| 4 | Per Capita Energy Consumption | 70 units | 374 units |
| 5 | Number of Grids | 45 | 175 |
| 6 | Number of Power Substations | 368 | 1272 |
| 7 | A.T.& C. Loss | 59.24% | 15.54% |
⚡ Generation
To meet the State's electricity demand, Tied up capacity of 11,764 MW is operational under power purchase agreements out of which 4,021 MW is through Renewable Energy sources. Additionally, 7,437 MW power purchase agreement has also been signed to meet the projected demand of 2030. It is noteworthy to mention that in 2005 the State total power purchase agreement was only 1,600 MW. The current status of power generation from plants in operation and under construction in the state are as follows:
Power generation has started after completion of work from both new units of 2×250 MW capacity at Barauni Thermal Power Station.
Commercial production has commenced from all 4x250 MW power plants of the Bhartiya Rail Bijlee Company Limited (BRBCL), Aurangabad. This project is providing 100 MW of electricity to Bihar.
Nabinagar Power Generating Company Limited's new thermal power station (3 x 660 MW) at Nabinagar has commenced commercial production from all three units with a total capacity of 1980 MW (Stage 1). The quota of Bihar from it is 1605.50 MW (81.09%) of total generation.
Barh Super Thermal Power - Presently Commercial production has started from all units of Stage- I & II and Bihar is getting 2284.94 MW.
2 x 660 MW (1320 MW) Greenfield Thermal Power Plant is being constructed at Chausa (Buxar) by Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited. Currently, commercial production from the first unit has begun in November 2025 through which Bihar is getting 561 MW of electricity. Commercial production from the second unit is likely to be commissioned during 2026-27 which will also provide 561 MW of electricity. Bihar will receive approximately 4,461 MW of additional power from Buxar Unit-2, Darlipali, Nabinagar Stage-2, and Pirpainti units.
Private investment is also taking place in the Generation sector. On the basis of TBCB mode, the agency has been selected to set up a 2400 MW thermal power plant in Pirpainti, Bhagalpur, with an investment of approximately Rs. 30,000 crore. The work has started and is in progress. The target for power generation from the first unit is 2029-30 and the second & third unit is 2030-31.
⚡ New and Renewable Energy
The State Government has taken the following important steps to encourage larger use of New and Renewable Energy sources:
A solar power project has been taken up in Kajra (Lakhisarai) in which generation has commenced from 185 MW Solar Power Plant with 254 MWh Battery Energy Storage System, costing ₹1810.34 crore under Phase-1. Further work is in progress for installation of 116 MW Solar Power Plant with 241 MWh Battery Energy Storage System, costing ₹1,055.72 crore under Phase-2. The target of its completion is January 2027.
Installation of Solar Power Plants on Residential Buildings - Currently, Solar Power Plants are being installed on the rooftops of residential buildings under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojna, with a subsidy of Rs. 30,000 for 1 kW, Rs. 60,000 for 2 kW, and Rs. 78,000 for 3 kW and above. So far, solar rooftops have been installed in 15,201 homes, with a total capacity of 53.88 MW. The State Government has taken a decision to install 1.1 kW Roof Top Solar Power Plants with 100% subsidy for 5.8 million Kutir Jyoti category (BPL) consumers. In the first phase of the scheme, necessary action is underway to install rooftop solar for 2.5 lakh consumers under the Utility-Led Aggregation (ULA) model of the Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojna.
Under the Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Abhiyan, work is underway to install Grid-Connected Solar Power Plants on the Rooftops of all Government Buildings in the State. Currently, solar power plants with a cumulative capacity of 115 MW have been installed on 12,771 government buildings. The target is to install 500 MW of rooftop solar plants on Government Buildings during the next five years.
Niche Machhli Upar Bijli: Floating solar power plants are operational having a capacity of 1.6 MW in Darbhanga and 0.525 MW in Supaul.
2 MW solar power plant has been installed & operational on the available chart land along a canal located at Bikram, Patna.
Work is in progress for selecting an agency for installation of 10 MW capacity floating solar power plant at Phulwaria reservoir in Nawada district and 10 MW capacity solar power plant at Western Link Canal, Indrapuri Barrage, Rohtas.
NOC has been received from the Water Resources Department for installation of a 10 MW capacity floating solar power plant in Durgawati reservoir.
A total of 180 MW ground mounted solar power plants have been installed including 50 MW capacity in Banka and at various locations within the State.
Feeder Level Solarization under PM KUSUM component-C - Solarization of 684 feeders (456 MW) emanating from 175 Power Substations is in progress. The target for its completion is November 2026.
Battery Energy Storage Systems - Construction of 500 MWh Battery Energy Storage Systems is in progress on the available land at 15 Grid Substations. Additionally work of 500 MWh BESS at Kajra, Lakhisarai, and 1000 MWh BESS at Barauni Thermal Power Station, Begusarai will be taken up.
Necessary steps have been taken to explore new possibilities for energy generation & storage through Pump Storage Projects and Green Hydrogen Energy. Two agencies have been selected to install Pump Storage Projects at two locations in Nawada district i.e. Gosaitari (920 MW/7324 MWh) and Ekamba (1200 MW/7308 MWh).
Under the Mukhyamantri Gramin Street Light Yojana, the target is to install 12 lakh solar street lights covering all the panchayats, against which 9.45 lakh solar street lights have been installed.
Hydroelectric Power Generation - From 13 Hydroelectric projects having cumulative capacity of 54.3 MW, power is being generated. Over & above work of 9 Hydroelectric Projects having a total capacity of 7.2 MW has been taken up and is in progress. Out of its target of completion for 2 Projects one in Aurangabad at Tejpura (2x750 KW) and other of (1 x 500 KW) at Amethi in Rohtas district is current Financial Year.
⚡ Distribution
From July 2025, for all domestic consumers the amount of subsidy up to 125 units of monthly consumption has been increased to 100% under the Mukhayamantri Vidyut Upbhokta Sahayta Yojna. Due to it the consumers having monthly consumption up to 125 units are not required to pay. For consumption above 125 units, the subsidy as given earlier is continuing. In the current financial year 2025-26, the State Government has approved a grant of ₹3,797 crore in addition to the existing subsidy. Consequently, the total subsidy amount for the financial year 2025-26 has increased to ₹19,792 crore.
By giving 92 percent subsidy on the approved tariff to farmers for irrigation purposes and also for Cold Storages storing agricultural produce only, payment of 55 paise per unit is only paid by the consumers against the approved rate of Rs 6.74 per unit. The cost of irrigation has been reduced by 90 percent due to the use of cheaper electricity compared to expensive diesel, which directly benefits the farmers. Farmers are also largely benefited due to decreased cost of storage of their products in cold storages.
Under the Mukhyamantri Krishi Vidyut Sambandh Yojna, the State Government is providing free electricity connections to all interested farmers. So far, 7.76 lakh farmers have been provided electricity connections. The target is to provide all remaining connections by March 2026.
Under RDSS, 1408 dedicated feeders for agriculture have been constructed against a target of 1555 dedicated agricultural feeders. Further, a total of 34,982 circuit kilometers of LT bare conductors have been replaced with AB cables and 53,596 new Distribution Transformers have been installed. A total of 64,040 circuit kilometers of new lines have been constructed under the RDSS.
The total number of Power Sub-station in the State is 1,272. Additionally, 93 power substations under the State Plan and 167 power substations under the RDSS are under construction. The target for completion is 2026-27.
A plan worth ₹949.93 crore has been approved for underground cabling and SCADA works to strengthen and modernize electrical infrastructure of urban areas of Patna. The work is being carried out in mission mode and will be completed by 2027-28.
A scheme worth Rs 422.90 crore has been approved to provide electricity through ON GRID to 42,621 households in 219 villages in West Champaran, Supaul, Kaimur, Rohtas, Jamui, Munger, Lakhisarai, Nawada, Katihar, Purnia and Banka districts of the state, which are predominately forest or riverine areas which are geographically less accessible. Earlier, electricity was supplied to these areas through off-grid means. Work on this scheme is in progress and it is targeted to be completed in the year 2026-27.
Bihar is a leading state in the installation of smart prepaid meters. Till date, more than 86 lakh smart prepaid meters have been installed.
The progress of distribution companies in revenue collection is remarkable. During the year 2015-16, the total revenue collection of the companies was Rs 5,538.78 crore. In the year 2020-21, revenue collection crossed the ten thousand crore mark for the first time, reaching Rs 10,099.49 crore. Revenue collection is continuously increasing, reaching Rs 15,109 crore in the year 2023-24 and Rs 17,119 crore in the year 2024-25.
Both distribution companies recorded a consolidated profit of ₹215 crore for the first time in 2022-23. The profit amount has increased to Rs 1274 crore in the year 2023-24 and Rs 2004 crore in the year 2024-25. As a result of all these efforts, billing efficiency which was 75.19 percent in 2020-21 has increased to 86.45 percent in 2024-25 and AT&C losses have decreased from 32.14 percent (2020-21) to 15.54 percent (2024-25) in the last five years.
The Energy Department and power companies are committed to provide convenience and essential services to electricity consumers. Under this initiative, Suvidha App, Suvidha Desk, Fuse Call, 1912 Call Center, special camps and Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum have been established.
⚡Transmission
Five new grid substations have been constructed so far in this fiscal year as part of the state's transmission system strengthening and expansion programme. This brings the total number of grid substations in the state to 175.
To strengthen the transmission system, a total of six Grid Substations are currently under construction. It will be completed in the financial year 2026-27.
During the Pragati Yatra, the Honorable Chief Minister announced the construction of 10 grid substations: Amwaman (West Champaran), Majorganj (Sitamarhi), Mahua (Vaishali), Mairwa (Siwan), Warisnagar (Samastipur), Chausa (Madhepura), Amarpur (Banka), Halsi and Barhiya (Lakhisarai), and Roh (Nawada). A total of ₹1,918.28 crore has been approved for this project. These grid substations will be constructed in a mission mode during FY 2026-27.
Under the State Scheme of Rs. 125.47 crore, construction work of 220 kV transmission line connecting 400 kV Lakhisarai (Powergrid) to 220/132/33 kV Haveli Kharagpur (BGCL) is in progress and the target of its completion is March, 2026.
Construction of a 220 kV double-circuit transmission line to supply electricity to the Integrated Manufacturing Cluster (IMC) Gayaji has been taken up under State plan costing ₹33.29 crore. The target of its completion is March 2027.
After completion of all the projects as mentioned above, the total number of grid substations in the state will increase to 195. This will also increase the State's total power evacuation capacity from the current 15,696 MW to 19,600 MW, ensuring uninterrupted and quality power supply.
The State Transmission Company has received A+ ranking for better management and operations by PFC.
Initiatives have been taken for listing Bihar State Power Transmission Co. Ltd on National Stock Exchange. It will be the first State Transmission Utility in the country to be listed on NSE. This will further strengthen the financial status of the State Transmission Company.
⚡ Consumer Services and New Initiatives
To cater a consumer base of more than 2.20 crore, the department has launched several digital and localized initiatives aimed at enhancing "Ease of Living" which has been made a part of 7 Nishchay-3.
The Suvidha App serves as a comprehensive digital platform, allowing users to apply for new connections, pay bills, manage load change requests and other important services from their homes, supported by dedicated Suvidha Centers at divisional offices for single-window assistance. For the convenience of consumers, Division/Sub-Division/Section and Fuse Call Centre numbers through the drop down menu in Suvidha App are available.
To ensure direct accountability, senior officers hold grievance redressal meetings on every Monday and Friday apart from block-level camps on the second Saturday of every month. The phone/mobile number of local fuse call centres are being printed on the electricity bills of the consumers, as a result of which the complaints related to electricity supply of consumers can be resolved quickly at the local level.
Further, the implementation of an Omni Channel Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System marks a significant digital transformation. This integrated system automatically routes complaints from various platforms including the 1912 helpline, chatbots, and social media etc to the concerned officers in real-time, ensuring swift resolution and a seamless service experience for all electricity consumers.