Patna: Bihar’s energy department has claimed significant gains in electricity supply, revenues and investment during 2025, highlighting a flagship scheme that provides free power to most households and a series of infrastructure and renewable energy projects.
According to figures released by the state government on Tuesday, domestic consumers in Bihar are receiving free electricity for consumption of up to 125 units a month under the Mukhyamantri Vidyut Upbhokta Sahayata Yojana. Officials said this has reduced the monthly electricity bill to zero for around 90% of domestic users. The state provided power subsidies worth Rs 19,792 crore in the 2025–26 financial year, the department said.
The state’s energy minister, Bijendra Prasad Yadav, said rising electricity demand reflected growing industrial investment and infrastructure development. “The increase in electricity consumption is an indicator of economic activity in the state,” he said, adding that the government was focused on providing affordable and reliable power.
Farmers have also benefited from subsidised electricity, the department said. Power for irrigation and cold storage facilities is being supplied at 55 paise per unit, which officials claim has made electric irrigation significantly cheaper than diesel. Under the Mukhyamantri Krishi Vidyut Sambandh Yojana, 3.86 lakh free agricultural connections have already been provided against a target of 4.79 lakh by 2026–27. Work has also begun on solarising 3,681 agricultural feeders under the PM Kusum scheme, allowing farmers to use solar power and sell surplus electricity.
Bihar has installed more than 82 lakh smart prepaid electricity meters, according to official data, offering consumers a small per-unit discount and enabling faster grievance redressal through call centres, social media and a centralised customer relationship management system.
The government said it had improved power supply to industry by simplifying procedures and providing new connections within seven days, along with dedicated feeders and uninterrupted electricity to industrial units.
The state’s aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses fell to 15.54%, below the national average of 17.6%, the department said. In 2024–25, Bihar’s two electricity distribution companies recorded collections of Rs 17,118 crore and a combined profit of Rs 2,004 crore, which officials attributed to improved billing and reduced losses.
Renewable energy has been another focus area. The Bihar Renewable Energy Policy 2025 and the Pumped Storage Promotion Policy were approved this year, offering incentives to investors. Within six months, the state said it had attracted Rs 13,000 crore in investment for two pumped storage projects in Nawada district.
In addition, a 2,400MW thermal power plant is planned at Pirpainti in Bhagalpur district with an estimated private investment of Rs 26,400 crore. The project, comprising three units of 800MW each, is expected to generate between 10,000 and 12,000 jobs, directly and indirectly.
The energy department also reported that 3,265 people were recruited across various technical and clerical positions in electricity companies during 2025.
State-run power utilities received several national awards during the year for customer service, innovation and project implementation, including top ratings from the ministry of power and industry bodies. All figures and claims cited in the release were provided by the Bihar government and its energy department.
