The Andhra Pradesh government is planning to take up a massive programme for energy conservation to achieve the potential of 20 per cent energy-saving to bridge the gap between supply and demand of power.
To achieve this on a fast track, the government has constituted a high-level energy conservation committee to launch an awareness campaign throughout the state, mainly involving agencies like local bodies, self-help groups and all categories of stakeholders.
In this regard, Sutirtha Bhattacharya, principal secretary (energy department) has issued orders to speed up the programme for effective and popular campaign to conserve energy in day-to-day applications such as air-conditioners, refrigerators and other domestic appliances, as declared very recently.
The high-level committee comprises members from all the four discoms, New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of AP and the energy coordination cell of the energy department.
In a press release on Sunday, the state government said it had also initiated measures to replace ICLs (incandescent lamps) with CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps) for around 18 million domestic consumers at a nominal price of Rs 15, as against the market price of Rs 90 per each.
Implementation of this scheme is likely to result in conservation of substantial energy and energy consumption is likely to be reduced by around 20 per cent from the present level. it said.
In addition to energy conservation measures, the government is promoting generation of renewable energy such as wind power and solar energy, Bhattacharya said, adding the new committee would review the implementation of various initiatives being undertaken at present and submit its recommendations to the government within two months.
