The AP CM, keen to ensure 24-hour power supply to the domestic sector and 9-hour power for agriculture, wants focus on avoiding wastage of power.
As part of efforts to improve efficiency and avoid wastage of power which ultimately leads to improvement in the performance of the power sector and quality power supply, the Government of Andhra Pradesh has decided to give top priority to energy efficiency activities.
Accordingly, Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has directed the State Energy Conservation Mission (SECM) to take Energy Efficiency & Energy Conservation (EE&EC) programmes to consumers at the grassroots level in a time-bound manner by adopting technologies of global standards wherever necessary "since every unit we conserve is very precious".
To achieve the targeted energy savings, a separate action plan is being prepared by the SECM, aimed at implementing short & long term programmes by duly adopting the latest technologies, which will be submitted to the Chief Minister by this month-end.
Disclosing the above details, I Y R Krishna Rao, Chief Secretary to the Govt of AP & Chairman of SECM, who briefed the Chief Minister about the various programmes taken up by the SECM, said that impressed by the continuous efforts of the Government of AP, the Energy Efficient Services Limited (EESL), Ministry of Power, Government of India, New Delhi, has agreed to make significant investments in the Energy Efficiency programmes, putting in place an arrangement to share revenue generated through the energy savings, between the government and the EESL.
The Ministry of Power, GoI, has set up a viable Energy Service Company, EESL - a joint venture of NTPC Limited, PFC, REC and POWERGRID to - facilitate effective implementation of energy efficiency projects.
The Chief Minister, who is keen on ensuring 24-hour uninterrupted power supply to the domestic sector and 9-hour power supply for agriculture, and to achieve self-sufficiency in the power sector, wants utmost priority to be given to enhancing the generation capacity, strengthening the Transmission & Distribution (T&D) network for reducing losses, and short-term purchases, in addition to taking up of EE&EC activities as well as promoting renewable energy sources like solar & wind.
Every step initiated by the government towards strengthening the power sector leads to overall development of the State and the welfare of the public, Rao quoted the CM as saying.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister directed the top officers of the power sector to take steps to streamline the distribution network for ensuring reliable & quality power supply even in the rural areas.
The Chief Minister said that AP was the best state for investments, and directed power utilities to specially focus on providing adequate & quality power to industries, as huge losses were incurred by the industrial sector in the past due to the industrial power holidays.
G Sai Prasad, Secretary to CM (on power); Ajay Jain, Principal Secretary, Energy (in-charge); Munindra, Special Secretary, Energy Dept; and K Vijayanand, CMD of APGENCO & CMD of APTRANSCO (in-charge) participated in the high-level meet.
The Chief Secretary informed the Chief Minister that instructions were going to be issued to all the key departments like Industry, Agriculture, MA&UD, Panchayat Raj, R&B and Rural Development to form their own department-wise Energy Conservation Cells for continuously monitoring energy conservation activities in their respective departments, as energy conservation was the least-cost option. (INN)