AP Transco will constitute a special committee with an independent audit team to monitor the State electricity grid.

This move comes in the wake of the recent electricity grid collapse in the Northern, Eastern and North-Eastern power grids affecting more than 20 States and leaving 60-crore people without power.

The focus of the committee will be on ensuring grid frequency between 49.5 hertz to 50.2 hertz. This initiative will be taken up in consultation with southern utilities of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry.

According to a statement from the Energy Department, the power demand in the State has increased by 44 per cent in the last five years as against supply capacity increase of 38 per cent.

The supply shortage is due to the inability to generate more power in spite of installed capacity.

Fuel shortage

This is due to shortage of fuel — both gas and coal and inadequate inflows into reservoirs hampering hydel power generation.

In spite of the Prime Minister’ Office intervention and restoration of supply of 2 mscmd of natural gas to the State, the State would get about 6.88 mscmd as against requirement of 16.67 mscmd. This leaves a deficit of 9.79 mscmd. The restoration of 2 mscmd of natural gas supply will enable the State to generate another 400 MW.

The Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy has directed the utilities to prepare a comprehensive report on power sector, including the prospect of developing wind energy and solar power projects. The gas-based independent power producers in the State are now generating about 1,040 MW as against installed capacity of 2,770 MW.

The energy demand has gone up to 253 million units per day on August 7, leaving a gap of about 42 million as the supply was 211 MUs.

>rishikumar.vundi@thehindu.co.in

Related Topics