TN seeks private investment to tide over power crisis

Chennai:

Tamil Nadu government on Friday urged private investments in power generation, transmission and distribution to make the state a power surplus one.



Speaking at the valedictory session of a day-long seminar on Sustainable Energy for Economic Development here, state Minister for Electricity and Prohibition and Excise Natham R Viswanathan said that the state is generating 6,067 MW of wind energy but the irony is that it is left untapped due to lack of infrastructure.



“We can’t utilize the wind power, which is 47 per cent of the total nation’s output, due to lack of transmission lines and substations,” he said.



Charting out the state’s strategy in trying to tide away power crisis, he urged the delegates participating in the event organized by South India Chamber of Commerce India (SICCI) to invest in evacuation and transmission of power.



He said the state is investing Rs 5,000 crore in building 230 KV and 400 KV substations and transmission lines.



The minister said that by August 2012, the state will have no power cuts and will fulfil industry’s power demand by having an addition 4,640 MW. “You could now see the difference. The power cuts have been reduced from three hours to two hours,” he added.



He also said the state is tragetting 23,000 MW of power by 2016. Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Electricity Board chairman Hans Raj Verma urged private sector to set up power plans along the coastline.



“Although we don’t have coal but are strategically located near the coast and have an advantage,” he said. Energy secretary Ramesh Kumar Khanna said the state will shortly bring out a comprehensive policy on renewable energy and is seeking the suggestions of individuals and private sector.



Meanwhile, the recommendations of the forum was submitted to the minister who said it will be taken into account while drafting the state’s policy.



The recommendations include power utility management, reconfiguring the utility into generations, transmission and distribution delivery functions and lay down performance and benchmarking norms instead of sticking to age old transmission and distribution losses. It also stressed on smart metering , which can be used to disconnect all non-essential loads during peak hours.