As winter sets in, the familiar sight of dimly lit homes and powerless nights grips Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), leaving us to endure the harsh cold with limited electricity. The recurring power outages are explained away by authorities as a demand-supply mismatch, but this oversimplification obscures the deeper structural issues underlying the crisis. At its heart lies a glaring failure to expand local power generation capacity over the past decade, which has left J&K dependent on costly electricity imports. Jammu and Kashmir has immense hydropower potential, with estimates suggesting that it could generate over 20,000 MW. However, only a fraction of this—around 3,500 MW—has been tapped. Despite this abundance of natural resources, successive governments have failed to prioritize investments in new projects or modernize existing infrastructure. Projects such as the Ratle Hydroelectric Plant and others have seen years of delays, stifled by bureaucratic inefficiency, inadequate funding, and poor planning. Compounding this issue is our reliance on purchasing electricity from the national grid. Every year, the Union Territory spends billions to import power, which is often insufficient to meet the demand, particularly during winter months when consumption peaks due to heating needs. The financial burden of these imports also strains J&K’s economy, leaving less fiscal space for development projects. Adding to the crisis is the high rate of Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses, which exceed 50%—one of the highest in India. This means that a significant portion of the electricity is either lost during transmission or not paid for due to theft or inefficiencies in billing and recovery systems. Some recent interventions have limited this loss to some extent but more needs to be done. Without addressing these inefficiencies, even increased generation capacity would fail to fully resolve the crisis. To break this cycle, J&K must adopt a multi-pronged approach. First, accelerating stalled hydropower projects and encouraging private investment in renewable energy sources is critical. Solar and wind energy, though underutilized, hold promise and could complement hydropower to create a more resilient energy mix. Second, modernizing transmission and distribution networks is non-negotiable. Advanced metering systems, energy audits, and community awareness programs can help reduce AT&C losses. Lastly, a more collaborative federal approach is needed. While the Union government has pledged financial and technical assistance, timely implementation and accountability must accompany these promises. Our power crisis is not just an infrastructural problem; it is a symbol of unfulfilled potential. Addressing it requires more than short-term fixes—it calls for a visionary strategy to harness local resources, empower us, and lay the foundation for our brighter, self-reliant future.