The Government of Andhra Pradesh, which has successfully achieved in a record time, its goal to provide 24 x 7 power supply to domestic, commercial and industrial sectors by overcoming major supply side hurdles, is now aiming at achieving lowest level of tariff in the country in coming years after commissioning of new Southern Regional Transmission Corridor so that quality and reliable power can be supplied to the consumers at an affordable price.
To achieve this gigantic task, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, on the occasion of National Energy Conservation Week to be celebrated from December 14 to 20, directed the officials to work out modalities on the following nine-point formula in a time-bound manner:
Power sector to prepare plans to meet the expected demand and rendering world-class consumer service as per vision 2029; Ensuring fuel security by encouraging coal imports, tying up new coal linkages and getting more natural gas supplies to gas based projects; To operate thermal plants at more than 90 per cent Plant Load Factor (PLF) since each five 5 per cent increase in PLF of thermal plants from a base level of 75 per cent will reduce the cost burden on the sector to the extent of around Rs 300 crore; Fast tracking of transmission projects to enable import of cheaper power from other parts of the country; To reduce Transmission and Distribution (T&D) losses to single digit i.e. nine per cent by investing about Rs 30,000 crore in T&D sector; Formulating new policies on solar and wind power for achieving the targeted green energy of around 15,000 MW (solar 10000 MW, wind 5,000 MW) by 2019; To develop the transmission green corridor for evacuation of expected huge renewable energy duly coinciding with the power generation; To bring in LED revolution in AP by completely phasing out inefficient and incandescent bulbs and duly replacing them with energy efficient bulbs in domestic and street lighting sectors by 2015-16; To adopt special mechanism for tapping sizeable funds from Central Govt. sponsored distribution schemes i.e. Deendayal Upadyaya Grameena Jyothi Yojana (DUGJY) and Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS), for rural and urban areas respectively
The Chief Minister while discussing about the importance of the above 9-point formula with the Secretary to CM (CMO) G. Sai Prasad, Secretary Energy, Ajay Jain, MD/APGENCO & CMD/APTRANSCO K. Vijayanand, has said that Several National & International firms are showing keen interest in making sizable investments in AP which is known as best destination for speedy development of industries.
The Chief Minister directed district collectors & officials to organize National Energy Conservation week from December 14 to 20 in a grand way. AP is the No.1 state in the country which has started implementation of Demand Side Management based Efficiency Lighting Programme (DELP) scheme for distribution of 2 Nos. LED bulbs to each domestic household consumer at a nominal price of just Rs. 10/- each only as against the market price of Rs.400/-. The CM appealed to general public and all stakeholders to habituate energy conservation as a part of life style for the benefit of state as well as stakeholders. (NSS)
