Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu instructed the officials to ensure that the companies signed under the Integrated Clean Energy Policy start power projects in the state within 60 days. He told the officials to resolve the field-level issues and sanction necessary permissions. The CM asserted that there is a dire need for innovations in the power sector. The interest on the loans taken by the power companies should be reduced and the cost of purchasing power also should be reduced, he pointed out. He said that the companies can avoid increasing charges to the consumers with efficient management.
The Chief Minister spoke at a power sector review at the Secretariat. Minister Gottipati Ravikumar, CS Vijayanand, CMDs of TRANSCO, GENCO, DISCOMs, and other senior officials attended the meeting.
Key Directions from the CM
- There is a need to ensure that consumers receive quality power.
- Long-term plans must ensure that no shortage arises in power production.
- Ferro alloys are identified as a key industry, and incentives for this sector would continue for one more year at a cost of Rs. 1,053 crore.
- The officials from GENCO and Water Resources Department should study the feasibility of setting up PSP projects near reservoirs and irrigation projects.
- The RTC should purchase 1,000 electric buses over five years.
- 5,000 EV charging stations across the state should be installed.
Steps to Improve Power Supply and Efficiency
- Distribution losses are to be reduced. Power supply is to meet demand and distribution losses cut from 9.2 percent by 2029.
- States should enter into a power-swapping agreement in order to share the burden of power purchase.
- Distribution companies shall focus on non-tariff income.
- Other uses of thermal power plant ash must be studied. Experts in IITs should study how pollution from thermal plants can be reduced.
- Solar power units under the PM Suryagarh Muft Bijli Yojana should be installed quickly. Consumers can use the generated electricity and surplus should go to the grid.
- Under PM Kusum, in the second phase, 4,792 MW of solar power units should be set up for agriculture. Land from Endowment and Water Resources departments can be used for solar generation. Consumers should be encouraged to become power generators.
- It should be installed on 483 government buildings to generate 150 MW of power.
- Electricity Purchase Cost Reduced CS Vijayanand said the cost of purchase of electricity has dropped by 20 paise per unit during the first three months of the current year compared to the last year. Due to continuous monitoring through the EPMS system, up to Rs. 500 crore was saved.
