11th Plan for efficient use of power resources

The Eleventh Five-Year Plan will contain several policy measures for the power sector.

The working group on power headed by Power Secretary RV Shahi is examining legislative and policy issues and use of inputs such as coal, gas and transport for the sector.

The working group which recently held its first meeting has constituted eight sub-groups "" on demand projection and generation planning, transmission planning, distribution including village and household electrification, legislative and policy issue formulation, energy efficiency and conservation.

The sub-groups will submit their reports over the next eight weeks after which the working group will finalise a comprehensive report by September this year.

The approach paper to the Eleventh Plan clearly outlines that the utility-based generation capacity should increase by 60,000 Mw in order to be consistent with a growth rate between eight to nine per cent per annum.

"The Eleventh Plan must evolve policies that can ensure that generation capacity of this order is created in an efficient, least cost manner while emphasising exploitation of India's hydro potential and nuclear capabilities, especially in the field of fast breeder reactors," the paper said.

When contacted, Shahi said 19,000 Mw capacity addition in 2006-07 of which 10,000 Mw will be achieved through Bhel projects.

He pointed out that the Central Electricity Authority had been asked to identify coal, gas and hydro based project sites to be taken up for commissioning during the Eleventh Plan.