The state government has directed Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation Limited (APGenco) to expedite power projects so that 4,000-Mw additional capacity be added by 2014, besides requesting Power
Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) to complete connectivity between the southern, northern and western grid by 2013.
Minnie Mathew, chief secretary, said in a press release on Sunday that though the government had been putting concerted efforts on enhancing generation capacity, inadequate coal and natural gas supplies, reduced inflows into hydel reservoirs and limited transmission corridor facility were posing major challenges in meeting the ever increasing demand.
“Due to the fuel crisis, the generating stations are able to utilise only 10,400-Mw capacity (or 65 per cent), as against the total installed capacity of around 16,000 Mw,” she said.
Since the fuel crisis has become a burdening issue, the state government was seriously thinking to make a proposal to the Union ministry of power to conduct a national debate on fuel security to explore the ways and means of tapping the abundantly available new and renewable resources like solar and wind to overcome the shortage, she added.
According to Mathew, the first meeting of the State Energy Conservation Mission is likely to be held during the third week of October in which key decisions on energy conservation and usage of efficient electrical appliances are likely to be taken to explore substantial energy savings.
“As a short-term measure, power utilities have finalised orders and entered agreements for procurement of 1,500 Mw of power per month till May 2013 to meet the requirements of the consumes,” said M Sahoo, principal secretary (energy).
