Government Intensifies Efforts to Meet High Summer Electricity Demand and Prevent Outages
NEW DELHI, April 2 (IANS) – The government, led by Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy, R.K. Singh, is taking proactive steps to ensure there are no electricity shortages during the upcoming peak summer season. The Minister reviewed power capacity status of thermal plants and directed maintenance shifts to increase power availability.
The Minister reviewed the status of both operational and non-operational thermal capacity, emphasizing the need for zero load-shedding during the summer season. Capacity additions in coal, hydro, nuclear, solar, and wind energy sources are also being monitored to expedite their commissioning.
Additionally, efforts are being made to prevent a situation where one state has surplus power while another faces shortages. The government is exploring the possibility of harnessing surplus power from captive generating stations and ensuring compliance with recently notified rules for offering un-requisitioned/surplus power in power exchanges.
To maintain technical minimum conditions for coal-based power generators, a uniform technical minimum loading mandate of 55% of unit capacity has been implemented. In addition, imported coal-based power plants have been directed to continue production until September 30, 2024.
The Indian Meteorological Department has projected higher-than-normal temperatures across most parts of the country for the upcoming summer season, leading to an anticipated increase in electricity demand. Despite rising peak energy demand in recent years, the government has managed to reduce total energy shortfall from 0.5% in 2022-23 to 0.2% in 2023-24. Energy generation from both domestic and imported coal-based power plants has seen significant growth.
