Around 46,000 MW power generation capacity is stranded as states have not built sufficient infrastructure to evacuate electricity from these plants, a senior official has said.
“The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) on Tuesday said that 46,000 MW of power capacity is stranded as of now on account of poor last mile connectivity largely on distribution side as states have not built sufficient infrastructure to take this idle power to the end consumer, according to its Member (Planning), Pankaj Batra,” industry body PHDCCI said in a statement.
Speaking at a conference on ‘Smart Grids, Automation and Solar Storage’ organised here by PHDCCI today Batra explained that of this (46GW), 30,000 MW is thermal generated whereas the remaining 16,000 MW is gas fed.
According to the statement, he explained that largely states and some of the UTs are entirely responsible for under utilisation of this capacity for which adequate last mile connectivity should have been built by them so that this idle capacity could have been utilised to lighten the rural landscape of the country.
The conference was presided over by Shalini Prasad, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Power.
Inaugurating the conference, Prasad said though India has a National Smart Grid Mission in place, the work on it is progressing slowly as different stakeholders in the power sector have diverse views and opinions on smart grids and the policy formation on this front would take place in due course of time, the statement added.
Anil Khaitan from PHDCCI pointed out that although the reforms in power sector are progressing but the open access system which has been in vogue for quite some time would yield desired results provided states do not burden its consumers with additional charges, surcharges and even levies to make its tariffs profound and inconvenient.
Shillong, Mar 28 Meghalaya Power minister Sniawbhalang Dhar today said power deficit has greatly affected the economy of the state and usage of renewable energy can reduce power consumption to a large extent.
“The main concern facing the state today is power deficit, which has greatly affected the economy of the state… Usage of renewable energy can reduce power consumption to a large extent,” Dhar said while inaugurating an exhibition on Renewable Energy at Mawpat near here.
He said a lot of thrust has been laid on eco-friendly non-conventional energy.
Dhar said the government was aware of the importance of development of renewable energy sources to provide the state with sustainable energy and was committed to extend all support to on-going programmes of the Meghalaya New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (MNREDA) in development and promotion of renewable energy.
Power department principal secretary M S Rao said the state’s dependence on power generation from coal and fossil fuel would not only take a toll on the environment, but would get exhausted early.
Globally, importance has been given to clean and sustainable energy that does not depend on exhaustible resources, he said.
Stating that there was a need to create mass awareness on advantages of renewable energy sources, Rao said it was also cost effective.
Lauding the exhibition, he said the exhibits and demonstration allow students to get a first-hand knowledge about usage of renewable energy and give them an opportunity to contribute in the development of renewable sources of energy.
A preliminary investigation conducted by MNREDA has indicated that the state could generate about 3,155 MW of electricity through non-conventional sources of energy such as bio-mass, Solar and wind energy, he said.
Meghalaya has a huge debt to the tune of over Rs 520 crore to be paid to the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited and other Central Generating Stations as on March 2 this year, Dhar had told the state Assembly a few days back.
Source:outlookindia
